By Ibrahim Muhammad
Independent Hajj Reporters

As the airlift of Nigerian pilgrims to Hajj 2025 inches closer, Independent Hajj Reporters, (IHR), a registered faith based Civil Society Organization (CSO) that reports and advocate for workable Hajj policies has called on the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and the States Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards/Agencies and Commissions to lay down a merit-based procedure in the selection and appointment of adhoc officials for the forth coming hajj exercise.

IHR said the call became imperative because of previous experiences where some government-appointed adhoc Hajj officials abandoned their primary responsibilities of assisting, guiding and serving Nigerian pilgrims as soon as they step their feet in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“They are often also the first contingent to be flown home, effectively abandoning the very pilgrims they are supposed to assist in Saudi Arabia,” the CSO said.

IHR in a statement signed by its national coordinator Ibrahim Muhammad on Tuesday, said the roles of officials are extremely crucial to the success of Hajj operations because neither NAHCON nor States’ Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards have enough manpower to provide adequate services for Nigerian pilgrims, especially during offshore operations.

“NAHCON and States’ Muslim Pilgrims Boards should adopt a merit-based criterion for selection of adhoc teams like what is obtained in Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and other top Hajj participating countries.

“These countries do calls for applications, conduct interviews for willing candidates, screen them and made those that are eventually selected to sign an undertaking detailing their responsibilities in Saudi Arabia, the minimum and maximum days they are expected to spend in Saudi Arabia, the government approved financial benefits for the adhoc officials and penalty for failure to adhere to the engagement terms which includes complete blacklist from any future hajj exercise.

“We are concerned that political pressures by influential politicians and nepotistic considerations from some Hajj administrators have polluted the credibility in the selection of adhoc officials at both national and state levels. There are instances where staff of the pilgrims’ boards who are trained for the Job are left out of hajj trips while political clientelistic candidates are included. This category of hajj officials sometimes converts themselves into pilgrims to be served, demanding preferential treatment and constituting an additional burden to Hajj administrators in Saudi Arabia,

While we take cognisance of the limitations of NAHCON and the State’s Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, it is preferable to allocate free complimentary Hajj seats for political patronage and allow professional considerations to determine the choice of adhoc officials who will serve our dear pilgrims in their quest to attain Hajj mabrur

“These developments will negatively impact the degree of hajj services to be rendered to our dear pilgrims who struggle to pay their Hajj fares and also pay an additional sum as service charges,” IHR said