The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria NAHCON under the leadership of Alhaji Kunle Hassan Zikirullahi has achieved the unthinkable in the agency, moving from the smooth Hajj operation post COVID to other management actions and decisions that led to the success of this year’s operation.
The yearly operations that was suspended as a result of world ravaged pandemic of COVID bounced back to life in the 2022 operation owing to both administrative and managerial wisdom and ongoing reforms of the Chairman and Chief Executive officer of Nigeria’s Hajj Commission, Alhaji Olakunle Hassan Zikirullahi.
Bouncing in the euphoria of successful 2022 operations and preparing towards the exercise in 2023, the award winning helmsman was recognized with an award for outstanding performance in the last exercise to the holy land.
This was at the backdrop of smooth and uninterrupted exercise not minding the strict compliance conditions of the Saudi Arabia authorities and cynicisms from the naysayers in the country.
The feat was achieved for obvious reasons that boardered on pre- preparation, preparation and commencement of the real exercise, as well as successful completion without hitch both to and fro the holy land.
The successful pilgrimage for 2022 was largely owed to constant and genuine reforms being carried out in the new commission under the leadership of Zikirullahi in recent times.
The maiden and people oriented decision ratified by the Saudi authorities to extend more succour to participating countries with Nigeria not an exception, through donation and distribution of medical items provided during the last exercise was a right step in the right direction.
Zikirullahi leadership without further delay embarked on massive distribution of the medical items and medicaments to selected mosques in various areas to justify the decision of Saudi Arabia authorities.
The humanitarian decisions of the Saudi Arabia authorities and subsequent compliance by Nigerian handlers under the new Chairman, Chief Executive Officer of NAHCON was rare and a display of naked administrative wizardry, devoid of corruption and laced with transparency and accountability.
The Dutse Alhaji exercise/distribution of medical items and medicaments in Abuja , the FCT will reduce to the barest minimum the sufferings of ordinary Nigerians who can not afford to access drugs prescribed from the hospitals owing to series of ailements.
It is also on record that under the management of the current Chairman, the ability to carry out instructions without any encumbrance was demonstrated with the excitement on the faces of beneficiaries of the items.
The gesture has also demonstrated the ability to deliver the policies of government both at the local and international level, as evidenced in the decision of NAHCON to comply with the directives.
It will also go along way into ressolving issues related to health challenges of average Nigerians who had no access to quality health care across the country.
With the laudable programs under Zikirullahi, no doubt such programs is expected to trickle down to states and local government areas geared towards ressolving health challenges across the country.
For Zikirullahi, the new National Hajj Commission of Nigeria NAHCON will ressolve the perennial and usual teething problems that had bedevilled the yearly operations in recent times.
YUSUF writes from Abuja ,he can be reached on [email protected].
