The Association for Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHOUN) has called for amendment of the long overdue of National Hajj Commission (NAHCO) Act 2006.
AHUON said the act is outdated and the reason for the enduring challenges continually trouble Nigerians pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
This was the resolution of the participants at AHOUN zonal conference on Hajj Reforms with theme; “Role of Tour Operators” held on Wednesday in Abuja.
The participants unanimously agreed that some of the provisions of NAHCON Act 2006 have been waiting for a total overhaul if Nigeria haji must catch up with the rest of the progressive Muslim world.
Precisely, the act came into effect 18 years after the Nigerian Pilgrims Commission Act of 1989 was amended, the tour operators are questioning the composition of the commission and provisions which they said are hindering the smooth operations of haji.
Shortly after the 2024 hajj exercise, AHUON expressed disappointment with its handling by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, (NAHCON), where it called on the federal government to set up an inter-ministerial and credible panel to review hajj activities.
The umbrella body for all the tour operators involved in the organisation of Hajj and Umrah services for the Nigerian Muslim population.
The association expressed concerns over ill-preparedness and bad conduct on the part of NAHCON, which it said, caused discomfort and untold suffering to many pilgrims.
The association also exposed the NAHCON’s mismanagement of the $90 billion approved and released as subsidy by the federal government for 2024 hajj operations.