The House of Representatives Committee on Hajj has said the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) needs to clear the air over its preparations for the forthcoming 2024 operations.
The chairman of the committee, Rep. Jafaru Muhammed, stated this while speaking to journalists on the work of the committee on Thursday.
He said the committees had received series of complaints from Nigerians regarding the 2024 Hajj.
He said, “There is so much cry from Nigerians especially intending pilgrims who found themselves in a very difficult situation of having a shortfall or balance that they cannot pay or meet up. They have suffered a lot to make the deposits. Most of these people are farmers.
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“We have a lot of sympathy for these Nigerians and their plights must be considered. They paid their deposits when the dollar had risen to over N1000 to close to N2000. Now the dollar has fallen to a little over N1000 between N1,100 to N1,200.
“So, it is very good that we look at these things. It is not a complicated issue because the Hajj fare, transport and other service costs are known. So, it is better for the intending pilgrims to know how much everything costs now and how much will be returned to them.
“It will even be better, if the balance due to him is paid to him so that he feels relieved and takes care of some other things. So, this is one of the reasons that prompted us to call NAHCON’s management because we are still receiving complaints.
“The issue of Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) has become one of the major problems we are facing now because we have received so many complaints from National Assembly members from their constituents and through other means, that BTA is now reduced from $700 to $500.
Considering the situation that someone will spend 30 to 40 days in another country, I think giving him $500 wouldn’t be enough.
“But, we cannot conclude as a legislature. We have to hear from NAHCON. What are the reasons for reducing the BTA from $700 to $500. And if there is any necessary action we can take to ensure that we resolve the matter amicably.
“Our committee must be proactive. We must tackle problems before they come. We must discuss in order to avoid problems. That is why we invited NAHCON; in order to know their preparations, about accommodations, because we don’t want what happened last year to happen again.”
Rep. Muhammed said the committee would also push for the decentralisation of Hajj operations to make it more participatory and private sector driven as found in other climes.
