Hajj 2023: Fear Grips Oyo Pilgrims As Return Plans Run Into Hitch

Accusing fingers pointed at NAHCON

Hajj 2023: Fear Grips Oyo Pilgrims As Return Plans Run Into Hitch

There are palpable fear and despondency among pilgrims from Oyo State following the uncertainty about their return to Nigeria.

About two weeks after the end of Hajj exercise in Saudi Arabia, over 1,000 pilgrims from Oyo State are yet to know the date of their departure.

Information gathered from the camp of the pilgrims revealed that plans to take them back to the country have run into a hitch.

According to the Chairman of the State Muslim Pilgrim Welfare Board Professor Sayed Malik, efforts of his Board officials to ensure the timely return of the pilgrims were obstructed by logistic problems.

You may miss Hajj:How Six Nigerian Pilgrims Die In Saudi Arabia

“We planned to take our pilgrims back to Nigeria immediately after their return to Makkah from Mina. But NAHCON and the airline contracted to convey us, Aero Contractors were not responding to our demands. Later we were told by NAHCON that the airline was denied landing permit in Jeddah”, Professor Malik explained.

In a report sighted from Mouthpiecengr  the Chairman of the State Muslim Pilgrim Welfare Board, said the issue was later resolved and the airline ferried Nasarawa pilgrims back to Nigeria. And it was scheduled that Oyo state pilgrims would be transported back to Nigeria in batches as from July 10.

But things took a dramatic turn as the airline officials refused to transport the pilgrims as earlier agreed.

“We were surprised that there was no communication from the airline and NAHCON officials on July 10 about our departure and our pilgrims waited in vain at their hotels for the officials who didn’t show up. We later learned that the Aero Contractors aircraft which transported the first batch of Nasarawa pilgrims to Nigeria has remained grounded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport in Abuja because the airline failed to secure permit to land in Jeddah from Saudi aviation authorities”, Professor Malik disclosed.

It was gathered that Aero Contractors was imposed on the four states by NAHCON as against the usual practice where the State Boards were at liberty to choose their preferred airlines out of the approved ones.

A former Secretary of the State Muslim Pilgrim Welfare Board who once served in the Aviation Committee of NAHCON, Alhaji Sakariyau Kunle Sanni expressed reservations at the turn of events. He advised that states should be allowed to have a say in the selection of airlines to airlift their pilgrims.

As at the time of gathering this report, pilgrims from Oyo State and their counterparts from Nasarawa as well as those from Taraba and Adamawa states are left stranded in Makkah as NAHCON seems to have abandoned them to their fate.

The pilgrims from the four affected states have no clue about when they will depart the holy lands, more than ten days after completing Hajj exercise.

Many of the affected pilgrims blamed their travails on the inefficiency of the body empowered to coordinate hajj operations in Nigeria, NAHCON.

Another affected pilgrim who is an Ibadan based broadcaster, Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat stated that NAHCON has taken more responsibilities than it could shoulder.

“We are in this unfortunate situation because NAHCON was overwhelmed by the enormous responsibilities it was saddled with. Something has to be done”, Alhaji Hamzat stated.

Meanwhile the Amir Hajj who is also the State Deputy Governor Alhaji Bayo Lawal has directed the State Muslim Pilgrim Welfare to take necessary steps on the matter and come with a workable solution which the state government would cue into.

In the meantime, officials of the State Muslim Pilgrim Welfare Board are working with their counterparts from other affected states – Nasarawa, Adamawa and Taraba to secure the services of alternative airlines to convey their pilgrims back to Nigeria.