By Aminu Garko
The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission, NAHCON, Mallam Jalal Arabi, has said that this year 2024 there will not be uniformed Hajj fare, that the cheaper a state’s cost of accommodation and feeding, the cheaper the state’s Hajj fare.
To this end, the Chairman told all State Executives Secretaries or Chairmen of Hajj Agencies to be guided and take advantage of the service providers’ open market to negotiate cost effective services for their pilgrims.
Speaking after MoU signing, the Acting Chairman, the
Malam Jalal Arabi drew attention to the reality of insufficient time therefore urged everyone to redouble efforts so that the teams can soon seal deals on most vital aspects of Hajj.
He said States are to plan their individual menus which would be used during negotiations, cautioning members that the team of NAHCON’s facilities’ inspectors will not compromise standards.
The Chairman appreciated the maturity exhibited by the Private Tour Operators for their collaboration to work together as a way of moving forward. He reminded them to commit their agreements on paper for future reference.
He admonished to explore liberalization of Mutawwif services in settling for those that would best serve their pilgrims.
The Chairman and other members of the Commission, are expected to strike good bargains on behalf of Nigerian pilgrims that would reduce cost of the 2024 Hajj fare adding that NAHCON will continue to update its several stakeholders on its activities for transparency and inclusivity.
