NAHCON attributes success of 2023 Hajj to Tinubu, Shettima’s support

By Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has attributed the success of the outbound movement of Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia to the tremendous support of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The Chairman of NAHCON, Zikrullah Hassan, made this known during a Pre-Arafat meeting with all stakeholders held on Saturday in Makkah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He said that the commission had successfully transported all the 95,000 eligible Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
He disclosed that a few days ago the commission out of determination to transport all pilgrims to Saudi Arabia made a reservation of five flights extra in the event that there was any Nigerian who had a visa but had issues with flights so that the commission would bring them to Saudi Arabia.
According to him, the commission after confirming that all pilgrims had been transported to Saudi Arabia decided to cancel the five extra flights on June 23.
“I want to appreciate the support and guidance of President Bola Tinubu and his Vice President, Kashim Shettima, for their support in many ways where the mention of it could be very unnecessary.
“Our being here today is made possible by their support and guidance on the leadership of NAHCON,” he said.
Mr Hassan also applauded the executive chairmen of the 36 states and the FCT pilgrims welfare boards, agencies and commissions for their support towards ensuring the successful transportation of all Nigerian eligible pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage.
Similarly, he commended the Association of Umrah and Hajj Tour Operators of Nigeria for working round the clock to ensure the success of the first phase of the 2023 Hajj operation.
“When the situation of flight was troublesome, we were together up to the last moment,” he stated.
On his part, the Chief of Operations and Head of the Nigerian Medical Team for the 2023 Hajj, Usman Galadima, revealed that the medical team recorded 30 cases of pilgrims with mental health challenges.
He also said that the team recorded six deaths, seven cases of pregnancies, two miscarriages, and eight communicable diseases and offered consultation to 15,860 patients.
Earlier, the Nigerian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Yahaya Lawal, commended the leadership of NAHCON for its tireless efforts in ensuring the successful transportation of Nigerian pilgrims for this year’s hajj.