The Saudi Ministry of Hajj has announced the allocation of 95,000 Hajj seats to Nigeria in the forthcoming 2024 Hajj.
This was made known via a virtual meeting held between the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah today.
Statement signed by the Deputy Director Information and Publication, Mousa Ubandawaki disclosed that the meeting which officially marked the start of the 2024 Hajj was attended by the Chairman, House Committee on Hajj, Honorable Jafar Mohammed, representatives of the Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Abubakar Sani Bello as well as the Nigerian Consul-General in Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Bello Abdulkadir.
“The high points of the discussion is that Nigeria is expected to finalize all arrangements and negotiation with Service Providers including the Catering, Accommodation and Transportation within the next 120 days. NAHCON is to submit the lists of medical and other officials to the Kingdom very early as the Kingdom has plans to work with the two bodies very closely and NAHCON is to ensure that only air carriers with at least two aircraft on its fleet and a back- up are appointed or allowed to participate in the 2024 Hajj operation,” the statement said.
Leading the the Saudi team, Dr Badr Mohammed Al- Somi urged the Commission to strive to meet up with the timeline in order to enable the Ministry make adequate plan and also avoid the experience and incidents witnessed in this year’s Hajj.
“We want all Hajj Missions to be proactive in meeting our time frame, so that we won’t allow what happened previously and also to give the missions sufficient time to examine the services before pilgrims’ arrival”, he said.
Al- Talaheen promised that the refund sought by the Commission was being worked on and that as soon as the result of its investigative Committee is released, it would be acted upon accordingly.
Earlier in his address, the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan had called on the Saudi Authorities to expedite action on the refund of the feeding and tent services not provided in the Mashair.
He further reiterates the need for the Kingdom to disengage from the provision of feeding service in the Masha’ir and allow the country to take over Muna and Arafat to afford the Pilgrims opportunities to enjoy delicacies they were used to at home.
Meanwhile, the Chairman has sought for the support and assistance of the Ministry in securing the refund paid to the General Authority on Saudi Aviation (GACA) on behalf of the Nigerian Carriers in 2019.
Alhaji Hassan also called on the Ministry to review its decision by allowing Nigerian Pilgrims to depart through the King Abdul- Aziz International Airport Jeddah instead of Madina as that would create bottlenecks and logistics problems for the pilgrims.
In the same vein, the Commission appealed to the Saudi Ministry for the upward review of the number of Tour Operators/Companies to be allowed to conduct Hajj from 10 to 100 companies saying that much as the action will enable the Commission to organize the agencies for effective management and control, the sudden decision would seem to be too harsh.
In another development, the Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa has demanded for justice from Egypt Air after a period of no response ove the death of a Nigerian, Ms Remilekun Toyosi Meshioye while travelling with the airline on Sept. 4, 2023.
In a letter personally signed by her and was delivered by the Commission’s Head of Media and Public Relations, Abdur-Rahman Balogun to Mr Majdi Al Aridi, the General Manager of the airline in Abuja office, she described the sudden death of Remilekun as sad and painful.
Dabiri-Erewa in the petition stated that Remilekuni’s case was drawn to the attention of NIDCOM in a petition sent by Mrs Olufunmilola Olaniyi-Alabi, her elder sister based in Uk on behalf of the Family to the Commission.
She said that since the death of Remilekun aboard the airline from Lagos to Cairo, the Management of the Egyptair has not deemed it fit to contact any member of the family nor her next of kin as contained in her particulars before boarding the aircraft.
“It is surprising that Egyptair management has not deemed it fit to contact any members of Remilekun family to break the sad news to them nor condole with them. It has not responded as well to NIDCOM petition since Wednesday Sept. 13, 2023 “, the statement added.
On behalf of the family and the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Commission is demanding for full disclosure that led to the sudden death of Ms. Remilekun Toyosi Meshioye aboard Egyptair on that fateful day.
Dabiri-Erewa, who has since condoled with the family and prayed for the repose of the soul of the deceased, assured them that justice will be served in memory of Remilekun.
Remilekun, 41, who was billed for London to resume for her studies, was said to have left Lagos for London onboard Egypt Air MS 876 flight to Cairo on Monday Sept. 4, via Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, but allegedly took ill on board and brought out dead from the aircraft at Cairo International Airport.
The family , according to Mrs Olufunmilola Olaniyi-Alabi, said the airline didn’t inform them, but rather they got a message from the Nigeria consular office in Cairo informing them of her death on board the flight.
“Please we need to know what exactly happened to Remilekun and how to get her corpse back to Nigeria for a peaceful burial as well as all her belongings in the custody of the airline,” she said.
