The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has assured stakeholders that all intending pilgrims who are still in the country would get their visas and will be airlifted to Saudi Arabia in the next 10 days.
The Commission was reacting to a newspaper publication which said over 45000 Nigerian pilgrims may miss this year’s Hajj due to the non-availability of travel visas to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“This report is not only misleading but mischievous aimed at causing panic and apprehension among intending pilgrims in particular and the public in general,” a statement by the Commission’s Deputy Director of Information and Publication, Mousa Ubandawaki, read in part.
The statement continued: “Truly, there was a technical problem relating to the visa processing, but it has been resolved at the moment, visa processing is ongoing. In the last two days, visas to state pilgrims have been steady, and no flight has been cancelled due to visa issues. Thus far, over 35000 Nigerian pilgrims are in the Holy Land, while the remaining pilgrims are expected to be airlifted in the next 10 days.
“It is interesting to note that out of 75,000 slots more than 58,000 visas have been processed so far for Nigerian pilgrims. Of these, 20000 visas were issued between yesterday and today while the remainder will be processed by tomorrow. Despite the hiccup, the Commission is committed to concluding the airlift operation to Saudi Arabia before the 20th of this month.”
The King Fahd International Airport in Jeddah, is expected to be shut on the 22nd of this month which will signal the end of Hajj arrivals into the country.
“As a matter of fact, all the states that are scheduled to fly are on course to do so without any disruption related to visa procurement. Moreover, considering our resolve to airlift all our pilgrims to visit Madinah before Arafat and the need to synchronise the airlift with the available accommodation in the city and not to overcrowd the place the commission was cautious of pushing more pilgrims out.
“In conclusion, we want to urge our partners in the media that while it is critical for them to push for the interest of Nigerian pilgrims, they must also be conscious of the fact that they might be indirectly creating worry and anxiety for the hapless pilgrims.
“We, therefore, urge the public and the pilgrims to disregard the news report which is meant to cause disaffection, panic and anxiety among Nigerians. We want to reiterate our commitment to airlift every eligible Nigerian pilgrim to the Holy land not only in good time but also in comfort and best welfare service,” the statement concluded.
With the Max Air flight NGL1019 which departed Gombe to Jeddah at 13:02hrs on Friday carrying 550 Gombe Pilgrims (336 Males, 214 Females), a total number of 87 flights have left Nigeria to the Holy Land so far with a total of 36,841 pilgrims.
