By Abubakar Jiddah Usman.
It would not be surprising if it is said that the Saudi Arabian authorities are in the process of crossing the “t”s and dotting the “i”s of 2027 and 2028 Hajj operations as in preparation for the annual event. It is a fact that they are always far ahead in terms of planning and execution of the fifth pillar of Islam, which is performed no where on earth, except in Makkah.
Being host to millions of Umrah and Hajj pilgrims, year-in, year-out, the Saudis don’t have the luxury of a late outing. Hence they always hit the ground running. It is said that whoever failed to plan, has only planned to fail.
One observes that a day after the three day stay in Muna, the Saudis are always out with schedule for the next Hajj exercise for participating countries to align with. Countries, like Malaysia, Indonesia and others, that have established Hajj schemes that are religiously adhered to are never caught unawares. They always fill their quotas and even request for an addition.
Their Hajj Saving Schemes are working perfectly for them. As such Saudi deadlines are almost meaningless to them, except where some technical hitches, which are rare, occur either at their end, or at the Saudis end.
One hardly hears these countries, inspite of their large numbers, requesting from the Saudis for any extensions. In the case of Nigeria, it is entirely a different ballgame as if our own Hajj exercise is different. That is why the Saudis are always sounding note of warning to Nigeria and her like to adhere to time lines.
For years, Nigeria has always requested for extension, in Visa, flights, payments etc and we are always lucky to be obliged. However, from last year the Saudis have started closing extension windows on our face.
This might probably be one of the reasons for the reduction of Nigeria’s quota this year; one can’t say!I’m in total support of this measure, at least it’s time we start respecting times and schedules.
However, one cannot entirely blame Nigeria for these late preparations, though she could if looked at from a different point of view. Nigeria cannot be blamed, if one takes cognisance of the fact that most of Nigerian pilgrims are peasant farmers and petty businessmen, which makes it a herculean task for them to pay their Hajj fares at once as at when due, hence Nigeria’s always request for extension.
On the other hand, this is not an excuse, because one may ask what measures are there on ground to walk round this problem ? The truth is that there are none as at now except for the adhoc Hajj Saving Scheme being experimented with poor response from intending pilgrims.
This therefore, makes it imperative to call on state governments to come to the aid of intending pilgrims by loaning their state pilgrims welfare boards some reasonable amount of money to effect payment on behalf of their pilgrims who might have deposited at least half, or three quarter of the Hajj fares to fast track all the necessary contractual engagement with the Saudis on Hajj matters.
For now Jigawa and Kebbi States have blazed the trail, it only remains on other states to borrow a leaf from them.Already Nigerians have been reminded that the deadline for Data capturing of pilgrims this year still remains the eight of this month, just three days away from today.
No one is saying state governments should pay, rather should loan money to their pilgrims welfare boards to ensure that intending pilgrims are captured while they struggle to balance up after which the boards repay the loan to await the following year’s exercise. If this is done for now, Nigeria will not go cap in hand begging for extensions.
This suggestion to state governments is only an interim measure. For the long term measure, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, and state pilgrims welfare boards, commissions and agencies should fast track the Hajj Saving Scheme, which is the easiest and surest way to fall in line with other countries in strictly adhering to Saudi Hajj timetable and schedule.
Hajj handlers should put on their thinking caps to fashion out a strategy that would ensure intending pilgrims going through state boards effected payment through the Hajj Scheme.
Here participating banks should be encouraged to expand their services to rural areas as against what obtains today in which their services are domiciled only in the cities.
Abubakar Jiddah Usman is a public affairs Analyst based in Kaduna.
