Senate confirms new NAHCON Board members

.Commission makes clarification on SR300 Visa Application Fees, other matters

Sequel to the screening of 4th National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) Board nominees conducted on Wednesday, Senate on Thursday, in plenary, confirmed the nominations sent by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The nominees were confirmed after the presentation and consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The names of appointees confirmed by the Senate are: Zikrullah Olakunke Hassan, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Osun State, South West; Abdullahi Magaji Hardawa, Executive Commissioner – Operation, Inspection and Licensing; Nura Hassan Yakassai, Executive Commissioner – Policy, Personnel, Management and Finance, Kano State, North West, and Sheikh Momoh Suleman Imonikhe, Executive Commissioner, Planning, Research, Statistics, Information and Library, Edo State, South South.

Part-time Members are: Halimat Jibril, Niger State, North Central; Abba Jato, Borno State, North East; Garba Umar, Sokoto State, North West; Ibrahim Ogbonnia Amah, Ebonyi State, South East; Sadiq Oniyesaneyene Musa, Delta State, South South, and Akintunde Basirat Olayinka, Ogun State, South West.

Representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are: Shehu Dogo, Ministry of Aviation; Nura Abba Rimi, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Rabi Bello Isa, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning; Zainab Ujudud Sherrif, Ministry of Health; Aminu Bako Yarima, Nigeria Immigration Service, and Ibrahim Ishaq Nuhu, Central Bank of Nigeria; Dr. Bala Muhammad, Representative of Jama’atul Nasril Islam; and Yusuf Chinedozi Nwoha, Representative of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, in his concluding remarks congratulating the nominees, called on the Commission to reduce the cost associated with partaking in annual Hajj rites.

“Let me also congratulate those who are being confirmed. The Hajj Commission is waiting for them to kick-start the process of this year’s Hajj.

“They have to hit the ground running, they have no time to waste.

“We are praying that the Commission is able to do that because the cost of Hajj fare has been on the high side, and therefore, we are praying that this year’s Hajj will be cheaper than previous rates”, Lawan said.

In another development, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria made the following clarification as a follow-up to a circular released by NAHCON to States Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and other Hajj stakeholders on a new visa regime by the Saudi Arabian authorities.

In the said circular dated 10th January, 2020, the Saudi Arabian authority revealed that it has reviewed application fees for all categories of visas through a Royal Decree No. M/2. The new rate is a flat SR300 (three hundred Saudi Riyals) visa application fee for all types of visas whether Single Entry, with three months validity, Multiple Entry with one-year validity, Hajj Visa with a validity period within Hajj season only, all carry the same application fee of SR300.

The Commission, however, drew the attention of the public to note that the said SR300 stands as a visa application fee only. There are other essential requirements/charges depending on individual package choices that must be paid before visa is obtained.

With regards to 2019 Hajj Zamzam distribution, it would be recalled that some pilgrims did not receive their Zamzam water as aftereffect of one of the selected airline’s inability to discharge its Hajj airlift contractual agreements. All efforts to transport all the consignments proved abortive. As compensation, the Commission has released refunds to those pilgrims affected by the shortage.

The states and number of pilgrims affected are 65 pilgrims from Kano, 74 from Ebonyi, 115 pilgrims from Oyo State, 356 from Ogun State and 846 pilgrims from Plateau State. Affected pilgrims are advised to contact their state welfare boards for their refund.

Similarly, the Commission informed all winners of its weekly quiz programme in AS YOU ANSWER THE CALL, aired from 10:00 -10: 30 pm every Monday on the NTA network, that a cash prize of N25,000 each is the token for the winners, saying organisation forwards this prize as its own form of social support to the public as well as a way of encouraging research in Hajj matters.