At most, the entire religious ritual is just about forty days but the tension, anxiety and planning involved in going for Hajj can’t be quantified. Yearly, Muslims of different nations, Islamic sects and perspectives go to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage. Naturally, this demography and diversity pose diplomatic, security and logistics nightmares to all stakeholders. Consequently, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria(NAHCON) and the Saudi authorities, on a yearly basis, are always at wit’s end to surmount these challenges. Significantly, after every Hajj operation, the two parties do a post mortem in planning for the coming year, using preceding challenges as a guide. For this reason, the onus of a hitch-free pilgrimage, at local and international levels lies on both the commission and Saudi Arabia respectively.
Expectedly, given the collapse of the crane at the grand mosque and the stampede at Jamrat last year, where thousands lost their lives, planning for this year’s Hajj has been meticulous. Similarly, owing to the tragedies , Muslims all over the world will be monitoring the preparation of 2016 Hajj, especially to point out lapses when they see them. This year, NAHCON has exceeded its earlier preparations for a smooth-sail pilgrimage, every step of the way. Specifically, from the airlift of pilgrims, to their accommodation, including medical service, as well as a central information dissemination centre, NAHCON has planned for a hitch-free 2016 Hajj operation.
Last week, it held a workshop in Abuja, where the commission unfolded an elaborate programme of events to all heads of state Media Teams and relevant stakeholders .In addition, the commission inaugurated committees even before airlift of pilgrims begins on August 8 in Sokoto. From beginning to end, Alhaji Abdullahi Muktar, the NAHCON Chairman, attended all the workshop sessions and gave useful insights on preparations of this year’s pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
Significantly, three airlines have been selected, after due process , for the 2016 Hajj operations and they include Max Air, Medview and Fly Nas. In accordance with international best practices, bids for the airlift of pilgrims were advertised and 14 airlines applied for the operation. Subsequently, a 32-man inter-agency committee, comprising the police, Directorate of State Security and anti-graft agencies, as well as the Ministry of Aviation and its agencies, screened the airlines that bided. Afterwards, six carriers were selected and sent to the Federal Government for approval. Promptly, Top Brass Air, Donnier Air and Azman Air, including Max Air, Medview and Fly Nas were given provisional approvals to airlift pilgrims for this year’s Hajj. Thereafter, the list was sent to the Saudi General Aviation Authority for final approval but the Saudis pruned down the number to three.
Interestingly, two out of the three carriers are indigenous airlines, apart from Fly Nas, which is a Saudi-designated airline. The choice of the latter, if newspaper reports are anything to go by, seems to be attracting a lot of misrepresentation by all manner of commentators. In addition, NAHCON has secured good accommodations in Madina for Nigerian pilgrims. The farthest accommodations are Bustan Taiba and Taiba As Salaam which are just 300 metres away from the Mosque. Similarly, in Mecca, NAHCON insisted that State Pilgrims’ Boards give value for the money of their pilgrims. In practice, states are responsible for accommodating their pilgrims in Mecca, but the commission imposes guidelines for them. Specifically, some of these guidelines include, proximity to the Grand Mosque, functional facilities at the residences and costs that are commensurate to the standard of accommodation.
In addition, landlords and agents are expected to provide shuttle buses, on a 24-hour basis, for pilgrims if their residences are 1.6 km away from the Haram. At Mina, the entire cooling system has been changed, and at Arafat, for the first time, air-conditioners will be provided at the tents. Fundamentally, Nigerians are more likely to have their tents close to the Jamrat, following a direct appeal by President Muhammadu Buhari. All said and done, 2016 promises to be as hassle-free as possible because NAHCON planned early enough.
Kaka wrote in from Malali, Kaduna.
