Despite National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON)’s postponement of airlift completion deadline three times, there are still fears that thousands of Nigerian pilgrims may miss 2023 hajj.
This newspaper observed that at least the hajj commission has rescheduled the completion deadline thrice: First was June 20, but later changed to June 22, and lately June 24.
Instead of bringing solace to the pilgrims, the postponement only entrenched trauma and deepened uncertainty to thousands of tour operators pilgrims, who are still stranded in Nigeria as of Thursday night.
About 7,000 of the 20,000 tour operators pilgrims are still in Nigeria faced with looming uncertainty.
The commission airlifted about 72,000 out of its 75,000 state pilgrims, leaving thousands tour operators pilgrims to their own devices.
In Lagos, for instance, the tour operators pilgrims have been stranded within the vicinity of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA). They have been sleeping in mosques and open spaces in the airport vicinity for more than a week.
The situation is similar at the hajj camp in Abuja, where over 500 pilgrims were stranded for days without any official attending to them, according to a report by BBC Hausa.
It is not clear yet how which the commission’s approved air carriers will airlift all the pilgrims before June 24.
On June 22, the commission said the airlifting of pilgrims to the holy land will end on Saturday June 24, 2023.
Signed by its spokesperson Fatima Sanda Usara, the commission said, “Outbound movement of pilgrims from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia would be winding up in a few hours’ time. It has been a 27-day marathon, aboard 170 flights so far into Jeddah and Madinah airports, conveying above 71,000 Nigerian pilgrims and still counting.”
This development has caused hajj stakeholders to question the wisdom behind NAHCON’s new policy of approving seven air carriers for the airlift of the country’s 95,000 pilgrims.
A hajj stakeholder, who declined being named for fear of a backlash said, “NAHCON approval for seven airlines for the operation didn’t help matters. It is evident that two competent air carriers can transport the entire Nigerian pilgrims seamlessly without any hitch.”
He said Pakistan with 250,000 pilgrims has only Air Pakistan and Flynas. Indonesia’s 221, 000 pilgrims were airlifted by Garuda Air and Flynas, while Malaysian Air and Saudia transport Malaysia’s pilgrims, among others.
The expert said instead of appointing many comatose air carriers, NAHCON should borrow a leaf from the bigger hajj countries by “appointing two airlines with verifiable competence and sound fleet, financial muscles, and managerial capacity in hajj sector to airlift all its pilgrims.”
He said the commission should also relieve itself the burden of appointing air carriers for tour operators. “NAHCON should focus on airlifting its pilgrims. It should reverse to the past where tour operators are allowed to book scheduled airlines for their pilgrims. That is more efficient and time-saving,,” he said.
Also, sone of the pilgrims have commended President Bola Tinubu for placing NAHCON under the supervision of the Vice President’s office.
“We are urging Vice President Kashim Shettima to set up a task force that will independently monitor the airlift of our pilgrims back home. We don’t want the repeat of what happened during the chaotic airlift of our pilgrims to the holy land,” Alhaji Muhammad Ameen said.
Hajiya Muhibbat Salami said, “returning NAHCON to the VP’s office is a golden opportunity to right so many wrongs of the 2023 hajj operations. An independent task force from the office of VP is very expedient now to coordinate and monitor the return journey of Nigerian pilgrims. That will save Nigeria so many looming embarrassment.”
Shs said VP looking at what the chaos that marred hajj operations last year, “it is only necessary for VP Shettima to set up a task force that will stop the reoccurrence of last year’s ugly scenario and also gives him a full grip of the system and better understanding of the hajj ecosystem.”
