By Ishola Balogun
In a bold move to address the plight of Nigerian pilgrims, the House of Representatives has adopted a comprehensive report recommending sweeping reforms in the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, and the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board.
The reforms are to improve the overall Hajj experience, ensure transparency and prevent financial mismanagement.
In the forefront of these reforms is the establishment of a Hajj Tribunal to handle contract breaches, financial disputes and service failures involving NAHCON, tour operators, and pilgrims.
“This tribunal will provide a platform for pilgrims to seek redress for any grievances they may have,” said Sada Soli, chairman of the ad-hoc committee.
Another key reform is the review and renegotiation of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement, BASA, that allows Saudi-owned airlines to airlift 50 per cent of Nigerian pilgrims.
The report said: “This agreement has been detrimental to our domestic airlines, which have consistently shown capacity in pilgrims airlift.”
The House directed the government to renegotiate the agreement to ensure a more equitable distribution of airlift contracts.
To promote transparency, NAHCON has also been mandated to publish a detailed and transparent breakdown of all Hajj charges, justifying each cost, to prevent hidden fees and financial mismanagement.
The commission is also ensure a uniform fee structure for all pilgrims, with clear and justified cost variations where applicable.
The House equally called for an upward review of the $500 Basic Travel Allowance, BTA, to a more reasonable amount that could adequately support pilgrims during the pilgrimage.
It asked the commission to decentralise accommodation management to allow state pilgrims welfare boards and private tour operators to be part of negotiating benchmark prices for pilgrims’ accommodation.
Other reforms include the establishment of a service rating system for accommodation providers, ensuring that providers meet set standards before being contracted.
The commission must also ensure timely fund disbursements for accommodation to prevent last-minute re-allocations that force pilgrims into substandard hotels.
Additionally, it also required NAHCON to implement an effective refund mechanism for pilgrims if accommodations or services fall below agreed standards and impose penalties for poor performance for service providers who fail to meet their obligations.
In addition to these reforms, the House urged NAHCON to establish an effective pilgrim complaints and resolution unit to handle grievances related to accommodation, feeding, transportation, and other services.
The commission is also develop a transparent system for the issuance of official Hajj visas to registered tour operators to ensure that they receive visas proportionate to the number of pilgrims they manage.
Warning against unilateral decisions, the House urged NAHCON to engage tour operators, airlines, and state pilgrims welfare boards, and regulatory agencies in decision-making processes, rather than making unilateral decisions.
The commission must also strengthen its enforcement capacity to ensure that service providers, tour operators, and state boards comply with set Hajj standards.
On pilgrims’ feeding, the House asked the Hajj commission to contract Nigerian food caterers to prepare culturally-appropriate meals for pilgrims.
The House directed the anti-graft agencies and the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation, OAGF, to conduct a comprehensive audit of NAHCON’s N90 billion federal subsidy allocated to it during the 2024 Hajj operations.
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