The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria said it has completed its investigations on alleged infringements against the approved Private Tour Operators, affirming that the qualified companies convincingly met the laid down criteria.
The affirmation was contained in a press release signed by Fatima Sanda Usara, NAHCON Assistant Director, Public Affairs, on Wednesday.
Usrah, in the statement disclosed that at the end of the probe, NAHCON and other stakeholders were convinced and pleased to announce that the “objections raised were not sufficient to overturn the qualification of the 40 approved operators for the 2024 Hajj”.
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She said the approved PTOs were qualified with respect to: Capacity of operation; Years of experience; Historical antecedents and Clean bill of operation.
The statement reads in part: “Accordingly, the selection of the 40 companies is affirmed to be impartial, aligning with established criteria. Consequently, the remaining 70 successful companies have already proceeded with mergers alongside the approved 40.
“In its statutory role as the supervisor, NAHCON has urged the companies entering into agreements to forward to the Commission copies of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and other legal documents binding them into the business for perusal and documentation.
“NAHCON remains committed to carrying all its stakeholders along. In accordance therefore, the NAHCON Chairman, Malam Jalal Ahmad Arabi reassures its intending pilgrims that his leadership is determined to ensure that the 2024 Hajj fare remains within the N4,500,000 threshold and not above”.
NAHCON said it appreciated the support it has been receiving from President Bola Tinubu and the Vice President, Kashim Shettima in bolstering hope of the agency’s primary clients, the pilgrims, as well as all other stakeholders.
Recall that on December 13, 2023, NAHCON halted allocation of Hajj seats to the approved PTOs following some complaints it received over selection of the 40 operators for the next Hajj.
The Commission afterwards in the spirit of inclusivity granted the complainants the benefit of doubt by conducting investigations into their petitions.
Meanwhile, NAHCON boss will announce the final Hajj fare, as soon as the Commission finalises negotiations with service providers and other relevant government agencies involved in Hajj matters.
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