Friday, August 23, 2024 Hajj travel agents urge NAHCON Chairman to expedite the refund of N2.7 billion, including deposits from 2023 and 2024 Hajj operations, delayed for months. Travel agents, represented by the Association of Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHUON), have urged the newly appointed Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Professor Abdullahi Usman, to quickly address the issue of pending payments totaling approximately N2.
7 billion retained by the commission. At the regional meeting of AHUON in Lagos, its President, Abdullateef Ekundayo, highlighted the urgency of the matter. He noted that this significant sum includes N25 million in personal funds initially deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at NAHCON’s request ahead of the 2024 Hajj season.
Ekundayo added that an additional sum exceeding N1 billion from 200 agents, representing their preliminary deposits for the 2023 Hajj, remains unreimbursed. Despite assurances from NAHCON that the funds would be returned within three weeks following the conclusion of the operations, the agents have been waiting for three months without receiving their refunds..
