Independent Hajj Reporters, a civil society organisation, on Saturday urged the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to sanction service providers and tour operators who deliver poor services to Nigerian pilgrims in Muna and Arafat.

A statement by the group’s national coordinator, Ibrahim Muhammed, in Muna, Saudi Arabia, advised that a committee comprising the leadership of AHUON – the umbrella body of Independent Tour Operators – NAHCON’s inspectorate, evaluation and compliance unit, Mutawwif for African Non-Arab Pilgrims and Saudi Ministry of Hajj, and Umrah, should be constituted to look into the issue.

Pilgrims currently performing the 2017 Hajj have complained of non-provision of some essential services like meals, transportation, as well as non-allocation of tents by some Nigerian tour operators and their Saudi based service providers.

Mr. Muhammad observed that the situation has made it difficult for the affected pilgrims to perform their Hajj rites under a conducive environment.

“In view of the above, Independent Hajj Reporters, therefore, called on NAHCON to immediately begin investigation to unearth the reasons for the poor services experienced by some pilgrims in Muna, especially those served by Service No 18,” he said.

He called on NAHCON to replicate what it did in 2015 by immediately commencing the process of compelling the service provider(s) to make refunds to pilgrims for service not rendered or rendered unsatisfactorily.

He explained that such moves will help the commission to apply sanctions to appropriate quarters.

The chairman said that the Independent Hajj Reporters team in Muna and Arafat frown at officials of some state pilgrims welfare boards who were found evading the genuine requests for information from their pilgrims and abandoning from their duty posts when it matters most.

“We will officially report such States Pilgrims Welfare Boards leadership to their respective state governors as their action have caused some pilgrims untold hardship during this year Hajj,” he said.

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