Hajj: Convene meeting on operational challenges, Lagos tells NAHCON

The Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ibrahim Layode, has asked the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to convene a meeting with all the states of the federation to discuss the challenges faced during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage and find a lasting solution.

Layode, who spoke in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, explained that most of the challenges encountered during this year’s Hajj were from the inadequacies of the NAHCON.

He said the South-West region was not pleased with the food served in Mina, as well as the accommodation provided in Makkah.

“We had a lot of challenges, and most of them were from the NAHCON. The caterer selected to provide meals for the state’s pilgrims was using his discretion to select a menu that was not favourable to the people of the South-West.

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“The pilgrims almost protested at Mina; and many of them rejected the meals served and chose to buy food from vendors. Even the accommodation provided for Lagos pilgrims in Makkah was not up to standard,” he said.

He, however, said that despite these challenges, he disagreed with the call for the scrapping of the NAHCON, saying, “You can’t throw away the baby with the bath water.”