The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria said it has transported 22,898 out of the total 66,000 Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for the 2013 Hajj exercise within 11 days.
The duo of Alhaji Bayo Yusuf, National Commissioner in charge of Policy, Personnel, Management and Finance; and Alhaji Uba Mana, spokesperson of the Commission, confirmed this in a telephone interview on Tuesday.
Yusuf said the Commission had so far gone on 48 flights out of Saudi Arabia to Nigeria.
Yusuf said the Commission was using the principle of first-come, first to-go policy as those that left the country on inaugural flight on Saturday September 14 to Saudi Arabia were those that were transported back on October 19.
He said the 30-day deadline for transportation of pilgrims back into the country was November 19.
Corroborating, Mana assured family and friends of the remaining pilgrims in Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj that they would all be transported back home within the stipulated time.
Mana said: “It is important for people to be patient as all of them cannot be transported at the same time.
“We have a timetable that we are following on first come, first to go basis.”
He said this year’s Hajj exercise was so good “that everything went on smoothly beyond our imagination.
“Everybody, including the airline, the pilgrims, the state welfare boards as well as other Hajj operators cooperated with the Commission for the success so far recorded.”
The Commission expressed appreciation to President Goodluck Jonathn and Vice President Namadi Sambo as well as the national Amirul hajj for the support given to it to ensure a hitch-free hajj exercise.
A total of 76,000 Nigerians performed 2013 Holy pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, including 10,000 for the private hajj operators.
Due to ongoing expansion of Kaabah in Makkah, the allocation to Nigeria and other countries were slashed by 20 per cent in 2013.
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