By OUR REPORTER
A team from the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) led by its Chairman, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, paid a familiarization visit to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Musa Bello, in Abuja, on Thursday, 11th February 2021.
The visit, according to Alhaji Kunle Hassan was to formally introduce the fourth board of NAHCON to the FCT Minister being the pioneer leader of “modern Hajj management” in Nigeria.
The Commission’s Chief Executive Officer, in the company of his three permanent commissioners, explained another purpose of the visit, which was to solicit the FCT minister’s support for advice in running affairs of the commission being a member of the modern industry ab initio.
Alhaji Hassan capitalized on the opportunity offered by the visit to brief the minister on the fourth board’s activities so far. Among these, he said, were implementation and progress of Hajj Savings Scheme, establishment of Hajj Training Institute, NAHCON’s Digital Transformation drive, expanding the Commission’s Internally Generated Revenue outlets and concern for staff welfare.
He sought the minister’s cooperation to look into NAHCON’s land application tendered since 2017 through the Commission’s Cooperative Society.
Responding, the minister commended the sitting Board for its great feat within a very short time, even as he reiterated that Hajj Savings Scheme was the way to go bearing in mind its multiple advantages especially to the rural populace.
Mallam Musa Bello, the FCT minister, advised the NAHCON leadership to cooperate, especially, with state pilgrims’ boards and other stakeholders in the Hajj industry, while thanking the NAHCON management for the visit.
Rekindling memory of his first and second terms at the Commission, the Honourable Minister disclosed that the focus of his board at the time he was Chairman of NAHCON was to bring sanity and stability to Hajj affairs in Nigeria.
The minister recalled the huge challenges faced by his board thus necessitating its goal for seeing modern Hajj management materialize.
“It was upon this accomplishment that the 3rdboard progressed”, he said as he commended the Abdullahi Mukhtar-led administration for transforming Hajj tremendously, describing it as a tremendous job.
Minister Bello, still speaking to his guests, called upon the fourth board to also build from where the former management stopped.
He promised to look into NAHCON’s request and assured of the Ministry’s assistance where necessary.
NAHCON delegation to the Minister included the Head, Public Affairs, Hajia Fatima Sanda Usara, who sent the brief about the event to The DEFENDER.
