Independent panel to determine hajj operators – NAHCON boss
The Chairman/Chief Executive Office of the National Hajj Commission, Abdullahi Mukhtar, has disclosed that henceforth, an independent panel will be given the sole responsibility of determining hajj operators.
Mukhtar stated this when the management of Daily Times Newspaper paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja recently.
“The least number of Nigerians performing Hajj annually is estimated at 50,000 while at most we could have up to 100,000. This entails the enormous task of airlift of pilgrims by different airline operators.
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“Therefore going forward, the Commission has decided that an independent panel will be inaugurated outside the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria to determine who gets the job of airlifting Muslims to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj and everything will be done based on merit.
“The idea behind this initiative is to ensure transparency in the system and remove all forms of request the commission receives from prospective airline operators,” he said.
The NAHCON chairman further stated that the current administration has brought sanity in the system especially in the area revenue creation, cutting high expenditure and sanction of defaulters, adding that the policy has been able to yield positive results which led to the acquisition of a corporate headquarters by the commission.
“With the support of President Muhammadu Buhari, the commission has been able to expand its revenue base, cut unnecessary expenses and also generate revenue through fines.
“The support has yielded positive results and today the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has a corporate headquarters in Abuja which will enhance its operation and boost efficiency.
“Going forward, we have plans on ground to commence funding our operations through our internally generated revenue without government’s support or funding,” he added.
Earlier in his remarks, the Editor-in-Chief of Daily Times Newspaper, Aliu Akoshile, told the chairman that the courtesy visit was to inform him about the revival of Daily Times Newspaper and also seek ways of collaboration in sensitising Nigerians on the different areas of remarkable transformation that has taken place in the commission.
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