Ahead of the 2024 Hajj season, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has sent a 43-man advance team of 35 NAHCON officials and eight medical officers to finalise preparations to receive Nigerian pilgrims.
The team is expected to organise and coordinate the reception, accommodation, feeding and transportation, health, and general welfare of the pilgrims in the Holy Land throughout the Hajj period.
ADULAWO NEWS reports that the advance team will depart Abuja on Sunday, to receive the first set of pilgrims scheduled to depart Kebbi State on Wednesday, according to a statement signed by NAHCON’s Deputy Director of Information and Publications Division, Mousa Ubandawaki, on Saturday.
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The Chairman of the Commission, Malam Jalal Ahmad Arabi, in a brief farewell ceremony, held at the Hajj House in Abuja, congratulated the team on their selection, stressed the importance of the conduct of the advanced team, and admonished them to serve the guests well.
“You are the first point of call or contact with the pilgrims. Their impression and perception of your actions or activities will go a long way toward assessing the commission. If you get it right, we get it right and on the contrary, if you get it wrong, the rest will just be about crisis management.
“Therefore, you must be up and doing to earn our reward here and that of Allah in the hereafter for treating His guests well. They are the reason you are there, so at every point in time, make sure you attend or treat them with courtesy and respect,” he was quoted as saying.
He, however, warned that NAHCON would take “drastic actions” against members of the team reported to have deviated from any rules of engagement while urging veteran members of the team to offer assistance to the inexperienced.
“Take the admonition seriously, the bar has been raised and the expectation is high. You have been carefully selected because of the trust we have in you and as such, you need to brace up. Laxity and procrastination will not be tolerated.
“I want to urge you to work as a team and cooperate. Those of you who are veterans should assist and guide those who are new on the job so that we can achieve success collectively,” he added.