Barring any last-minute change of plans, the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Prof Abdullahi Saleh Usman will sign additional contract with another Hajj service provider today in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
A highly placed source who spoke to HAJJ REPORTERS Tuesday said the Chairman is planning to split the contract earlier signed with Mashriq Al Dhahabia and a new company.
The NAHCON boss has consistently tried to cancel the contract he signed with Mashriq at the beginning of the year but faced stiff opposition from the Forum of States Pilgrims Welfare Boards, who insisted that the terms of the contracts signed must subsist to avoid litigations that may hamper the conduct of the Hajj operations.
“Yes, I can confirm that the Chairman will sign contract with another hajj service provider today in Makkah. The signing has been scheduled to take place immediately after Maghreb around 7 pm Saudi Time” a source who spoke to HAJJ REPORTERS in confidence said.
He also said the chairman “wants to divide the Nigerian pilgrims on a 50:50 ratio between Mashariq and another company.
The source further told us that contrary to the claims of NAHCON chairman that it was Saudi authorities who initially cancelled the contract signed with Mashariq, said the Saudi Ministry of Hajj had “clarified that they didn’t cancel any contract and that it is not within their jurisdiction to cancel any contract signed by a Hajj participating country”.
He said that such issues are “primarily within commercial laws in the Kingdom”.
“We are running out of time because we have between now and 11:59pm of 14th February to concludes all contractual ratifications otherwise we may run into a hitch this year”
Speaking further he said “it has never happened in the history of Nigerian hajj exercise where four different hajj service providers will be serving Nigerian pilgrims within the Mashair areas.
“How many pilgrims have Nigeria registered so far that we are engaging four different hajj service providers?
“We have signed with Mashariq Al Dhahabia, Ithraa Al Joud for Private Tours and Rawaf Mina for VIP services and now a new one is coming?” he asked.
Efforts to contact the public affairs department proves abortive as message sent to his WhatsApp remain unread as the time publishing this report.
