By Musa Adamu
Makkah
Chairman, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Barrister Abdullahi Mukhtar, has proposed that countries there should be a synergy between when demanding for prompt response to distress calls by Saudi Arabian authorities in the performance of Hajj exercise.
Mukhtar made the call when he paid a working visit to the Hajj Commission of Pakistan in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, where he decried the delay or most times “no response” by Saudi emergency services to distress calls.
He said the visit was to acquaint NAHCON with the processes adopted by Pakistan and other countries to make Hajj exercise easier for their pilgrims.
He also said the visit was meant to promote trade between Nigeria and other countries, improve transportation and accommodation of pilgrims and other services while performing Hajj.
Responding, the Director-General of the Hajj Commission of Pakistan, Sajid Yoosoufani, pledged to assist Nigeria with whatever logistics it would require to set up a call centre in Saudi Arabia.
Yoosoufani took the NAHCON delegation round a Pakistani medical facility in Makkah and its ICT room.
He stressed the need for Nigeria to emulate his country in digitalising its registration of pilgrims.
The NAHCON delegation was also at the Hajj Commission of Niger Republic on a similar mission.
While there, the NAHCON chairman advocated for post hajj meeting of ECOWAS countries “so that they can identify common problems and present same before the Government of Saudi Arabia.”
