Hajj: Inaugural flight holds May 25 as advance team departs

Ahead of the commencement of 2023 Hajj exercise, the advance team of 31 officials from the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, on Sunday departed for Saudi Arabia from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

This was even as the commission disclosed that the inaugural flight of pilgrims from the country would depart for the holyland on Thursday, May 25,

The advance team, according to a statement issued by the NAHCON’s Deputy Director of Information and Publications, Alhaji Mousa Ubandawaki, was made up of 21 officials from the commission and 10 medical personnel, who are expected to finalize preparation to receive the first set of Nigerian pilgrims from Nasarawa State who would be arriving the Kingdom on Thursday for this year’s holy pilgrimage.

The statement explains that the team being led by the commission’s Deputy Director of Training, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, is to organize and coordinate the reception, accommodation, feeding and transportation, health and general welfare of the pilgrims in the holy land throughout the Hajj period.

At a brief farewell ceremony held at the Hajj House, Abuja before their departure to the holyland, the Chairman/CEO of NAHCON, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan described Hajj as a global issue and whose aim is to establish unity among the Ummah and therefore, enjoined the officials to take their job seriously by identifying the best goals and methods to achieve success in their assignments which is for the pilgrims to enjoy value for money and obtain Hajj Mabrur.

“You must be diligent, committed, vigilant and particularly, you must have patience and act in the right manner at all times so that at the end, you can achieve the benefits of here and the hereafter,” he said.

The chairman said that in spite of the challenge posed by the Sudan military crises, the commission was able to fulfill its promise and is on course to ensure that the inaugural flight set for Thursday, May 25 remained sacrosanct.

Hassan further prayed to the Almighty Allah to assist NAHCON in making this year’s Hajj the best experience for the commission and the Muslim Ummah.

Also speaking at the event, the Commissioner in charge of Policy, Personnel, Management and Finance, PPMF, Alhaji Nura Hassan Yakasai described the event as epoch, stressing that it marked the beginning of 2023 Hajj operation.

He described the advance team as the foundation on which the success of this year’s Hajj will be built, stressing that “if it is very strong, then the rest of the structure will be solid.”

“Therefore I want to enjoin you to discharge your duties with utmost sense of responsibility and I want to assure you of the commission’s support for your team to achieve the desired objectives,” Yakasai added.

In the same vein, the Commissioner in charge of Planning, Research, Statistics and Library Services, PRSILS, Sheikh Suleiman Momoh enjoined the team members to pray for the success of the Hajj exercise when they get to the holyland.

“I just have one request for you and that is, when you get to Madina, please go and pray for the success of this year’s Hajj,” he said.

Responding on behalf of the team, Alhaji Tajudeen Akande and Dr. Usman Galadima, expressed appreciation to the management for the trust and confidence reposed in them and assured of their determination and readiness to make this year’s Hajj more successful that previous years.

“On behalf of the team, I want to thank the management for the support extended to us, we will put in our best to ensure we achieve success,” Akande promised.