By GARBA MUHAMMAD

National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON has updated the public on the delay and fresh visa request by the Association of Hajj and Umrah Operators in Nigeria (AHUON) for this year’s hajj exercise.

A statement by the NAHCON’s Assistant Director of Public Affairs, Hajia Fatima Sanda Usara on Thursday June 6^th, 2024, on behalf of the commission’s chairman, Malam Jalal Ahmad Arabi said it has assisted members of the Association of Hajj and Umrah Operators in Nigeria, AHUON, to process 12,277 Hajj visas for the intending pilgrims from the Nigeria.

The Commission said the delay over the outstanding 1,285 visa applications was caused by members of the AHUON.

It however, declared that the fresh request was coming barely few hours before the Saudi Arabia suspends all visa activities for the 2024 Hajj.

Part of the statement reads: “Currently, out of 13,562 visa requests by the private Hajj operators, the Commission was able to intervene with the production of 12,277 visas for such operator companies that remitted their funds early and at the right foreign exchange rate.

“The remaining unprocessed visas correlate with those operators that paid their monies late. Hence, NAHCON accepted to accommodate late transfers with a caveat, that only deposits made by 5^th of June will be honored.

“Additionally, that after the payments, they are advised to stay action until the Central Bank of Nigeria approves the Naira to Dollar value rate upon which the private travel companies paid their additional deposits.

“Thirdly, that if the funds value is commensurate with the CBN exchange rate, they must remain hopeful for the Central Bank to successfully transfer their funds into the IBAN account before closure of Hajj registration portal by the Saudi Arabian authority.”

“Despite the fact that the Tour Operators’ association (Association of Hajj and Umrah Operators in Nigeria, AHUON) solicited for extension of the registration portal to 31^st May 2024, yet, NAHCON approved up to 3^rd June out of compassion.

“Still, some of the members continued to plead for further extension of registration to the extent that certain payments were made as late as yesterday 5^th June, 2024.

“Without NAHCON’s intervention, please note that Saudi Arabian authorities would not have accommodated further visa processing for any category of Nigerian pilgrim up to this period.

“However, NAHCON did not turn away the tour operators’ appeals for additional payments knowing that they need to serve their clients to remain in business.”

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