By GARBA MUHAMMAD, Kaduna

Chairman National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, has given Friday 28^th April as deadline for 2023 Hajj fare remittance by boards, agencies and commissions of State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare managers.

The deadline was made known on Monday, 26^th April 2023 during a meeting with Chief Executives of State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards/ Agencies/Commissions in the Hajj House headquarters of NAHCON.

According to a statement by Fatima Sanda Usara, Assistant Director, Public Affairs, NAHCON, the meeting was to address critical issues hinging on remittances of Hajj fare by pilgrims in order to finalize on number of eligible enrollees for the 2023 Hajj from Nigeria.

It said the determination of the number would dictate figures with which to the sign agreements with airlines.

According to the chairman, the Commission would gladly work with any amount remitted by Friday deadline and subsequently sign agreements for the 2023 airlift to Saudi Arabia based on that number.

He explained that 50% down payment to the air carriers is expected upon signing of agreement while another 35% would follow after deployment of aircraft for the airlift by the carriers.

He lamented that the remittance had to take this long bearing in mind that all other arrangements depend on the confirmed number of Hajj fare payers before conclusion.

“It would be recalled that deadline for Hajj fare remittance had been extended on several occasions since January 2023”, the statement added.

In another development, the Commissioner Planning, Research, Statistics and Library Studies, Prince Sheikh Suleman Momoh has revealed that screening of first batch of medical personnel for the 2023 Hajj will hold on Thursday 27^th May. Orientation and other ceremonies would follow after confirmation of successful candidates.

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