The Chairman National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) Alhaji Zikirullah Kunle Hassan has revealed new option of gaining profit from pilgrims Hajj fund.
This profit according to the chairman is possible only if intended pilgrims who had paid their Hajj fares migrate their monies to Jaiz bank pending when the coast is clear for international pilgrims to perform Hajj.
The chairman who stated this at a one day seminar for State Pilgrims Welfare Boards spokespersons, information and public relations officers with the theme: ‘Hajj Communications and Covid-19 pandemic’ tasked information managers in the industry to get acquitted with relevant and timely information in the industry to avoid fake news.
Following the cancellation of Hajj for international pilgrims for two years now due to Covid-19, “We will all agree that information sharing is central for clear understanding of issues and for arriving at collective solutions.
When partners in an industry have access to accurate, timely and relevant information from a broad range of sources, they become well-informed and equipped to tackle obstacles and facilitate efficient service delivery.
It was thus that this seminar was organized as a medium to debate upon problems of communication in this changing world of the pandemic and how it affects our mutual interests. The ultimate goal here, is to gain deeper understanding of the challenges and arrive at solutions that would remain applicable in our official endeavours.”
“It is hoped that by the end of the seminar, participants should be able to appreciate the: Importance of media collaboration between NAHCON and States Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards/Commissions/Agencies;
Necessity of sourcing information from the right channels against fake news;
Need for public relations and information officers to be abreast with happenings in Saud Arabia, technological innovations, Covid-19 protocols and their consequence to pilgrims in order to sensitize them;
Role of the National Medical Team in the face of Covid-19 pandemic and how we can help in projecting the right image;
Importance of managing expectations and the backlash of two failed Hajj for which a large number of pilgrims have registered; Imperative of Hajj Savings Scheme option; Now that global economy is experiencing a systematic slowdown due to the Covid-19:
On Hajj deposit the Chairman advised
“We are all too aware of 2020 and 2021 Hajj cancellations for international pilgrims. Our collaborative effort with the States’ boards’ chief executives’ forum provided a unique platform for exchanging ideas where we reaffirmed our commitment to the wellbeing of our intending pilgrims. We came up with the following options as way forward for those who have made Hajj deposits since 2019:
Those who wish to be refunded their deposits should apply for a refund through their State Boards; Those who wish to roll-over in anticipation of the next Hajj can do so by retain their monies with the states welfare boards or migrate their monies into the Hajj Savings Scheme with the Ja’iz Bank.
The advantage of migrating into the Hajj Savings Scheme is that subscribers have the advantage of gaining profit as they await the pilgrimage. The reality of our time is that a queuing system is unavoidable with the backlog of two consecutively cancelled Hajj seasons vis-à-vis a limited slots allocation system of the Host country.
This is in addition to the effect of monetary devaluation in the face of unstable Naira exchange rate to the Dollar will be cushioned by the return on investment when Hajj deposits qare done through the Hajj Savings Scheme. You will hear more of these in the course of the program.
Alhaji Hassan said that for now, it suffices to say that the commission cannot afford to remain running the Hajj system in the traditional way at a time the world is reaping proceeds from gainful change through digitization of Hajj registration and its entire operation.
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