A civil society organisation, Independent Hajj Reporters, on Wednesday called for mass enlightenment campaign on the imperative of completing their payments.
Nigeria’s seat quota currently stands at 95,000, with states having 75,000 pilgrims, while 20,000 for tour operators.
A statement by the national coordinator of the group, Ibrahim Muhammed and the publicity secretary, Abubakar Mahmoud, said Nigeria risks losing its allocations quota in subsequent years if it refuses to fill up its 2017 Hajj seat quota.
“We are calling on NAHCON, States Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards and Agencies, Hajj Service Providers, the media and hajj NGOs to embark on grass root campaign to encourage Nigerian intending pilgrims to expedite their hajj registration in order to avoid the consequences of Nigeria not utilising its 2017 Hajj seat quota,” said the statement.
It explained that “Of the 75, 000 allocated to states, only 51, 000 has been utilised leaving 19, 000 seats unsold. The slow response of pilgrims is being attributed to the hope of possible government’s intervention of granting lower exchange rate to reduce the 2017 Hajj fare,” the civil society said.
“The consequences of not utilising our Hajj seats quota this year are many: Saudi Arabia Hajj authority may reduce next year hajj seats quota to the exact number of this year’s hajj seats sold.
“The status of Nigeria as the country with the fourth largest pilgrims in the world and first in Africa will be quashed. The privileges enjoyed by our pilgrims before owing to our status will be taken away by other countries. The chances of securing hajj seat in Nigeria in future will be slim. Hajj seat racketeering may return to in full force and demands will triple supply in future.”
It cited other countries like Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Iran and Bangladesh, who have always been “on the waiting list of countries demanding for more seats. If Nigeria fails to make use of its allocated slots, chances are that it will be grabbed by any of them.”
It could be recalled that NAHCON has recently scheduled the airlift of Nigeria pilgrims to this year hajj on July 30, barely is less than two weeks from now.
“While we acknowledged the patriotic roles of the National Assembly on the issue of Hajj fare; we equally appealed to hajj stakeholders to utilise all communications channels to encourage pilgrims to pay with a promise of a refund in the events that government eventually grants a further concession,” the statement said.
