Perfecting the Art of Hajj Management the Kaduna Way

By Abubakar Usman

elsardyx@yahoo.com

Publish in 2007

Cueing from the issues raised by our greatly respected erudite scholar and elder malam Mohammed Haruna on his Daily Trust Wednesday column of January 30th 2008- and in the light of the general atmosphere of concern on the pereniality of hajj problems in Nigeria, this piece is a corroboration meant to open-up some intricacies bedevilling hajj in Nigeria and to present Kaduna state hajj operations as a model for the success of hajj in Nigeria.

The immediate past hajj 2006 is around the 1,420th hajj since the pilot hajj as exemplified by the noble prophet P.B.U.H. (see Muslim). Since then, the management of hajj affairs remains a daunting task whether at individual or collective (official) quarters. The entire expedition has never been a straight jacket approach.

Today regardless of all the socio- economic and technological advancements hajj management remains not without the ever evolving and increasing problems. And each nation of the world has its own fair share of challenges. Even the host nation (Saudi Arabia) with its dedicated ministry for hajj, hajj research institute, institute for hajj studies etc maintains a barrage of insatiable problems of hajj including logistics. This is attributable to the dynamism of complex factors as they relate to hajj.

The mutual interplay of dynamism, complexities and intricacies can be seen for instance in the nature of the numerity of the stakeholders involve in the hajj business. Hajj is like a melting pot of local and international diversities both human and institutional. In the hajj business are governments, peoples, hajj operators, hajj services providers, several sects and mentalities to mention but naught. Clearly, this peculiar nature of complexity involved in hajj management has graduated it from a mere art into a professional-cum-scientific faculty of activity.

Admittedly the nature of problems of hajj in Nigeria is unacceptable and it falls below the least tolerable limits of performance. The disposition of Nigeria as an underdeveloped nation is that of a corrupt and inefficient entity in virtually all of its respects. This is the most fundamental factor afflicting hajj in Nigeria. Year in year out, the problem remains from one bad tale to another. Just like an annual harvest of woes. This is reminiscence of president Obasanjos famous rebuke of the way hajj is run in Nigeria- when at a point in the height of failures of hajj (during his mantleship) he expressed his disappointment on how an affair that is solely run and managed by the Muslims wholeheartedly for themselves would continue to fail the way it does.

It was in the resolve to provide a permanent solution to the problems of hajj in Nigeria that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) was established. The function of which is broader and coodinatory but rather a smaller schedule of contractual and foreign relations nature.

Ironically the most pronounced problems that becloud the hitch full hajj history of Nigeria have more to do with NAHCON despite its relatively smaller schedule in hajj management in Nigeria compared with the state pilgrims welfare boards. These Problems, bothering on airlifting seem to take centre stage.

There are more problems than those that meet an eye. But each problem is peculiar to each individual state hajj operator and therefore less pronounced.

The comparative edge Kaduna state’s hajj operations have over other states is quite remarkable especially in this ending decade. It’s thus a model for other states and even NAHCON itself. When it comes to hajj as a perfecting art, the state cannot be said to be second to any other state. And this is a very popular note indeed. Most of the laudable innovations in the area of hajj operations in the recent history of hajj are initiated in Kaduna. And other state if at all, copy from it.

Kaduna state pilgrims office in Makka is the destination of most Nigerian pilgrims who get lost. The reason is the rapid response to pilgrims’ welfare cases which is extended to other Nigerian non- Kaduna pilgrims. The organisation, has received numerous awards due to its excellent practices in hajj. With most of it coming from the Establishment for African Non Arab Pilgrims.

Feats like these would not be without deliberate efforts for accomplishments. Dedicated leadership and management -it is that set good objectives and work towards it and then achieve it. The board is steered by an amiable revolutionary- full of youthful spirit and vibrancy. Apparently driven by sincere zeal for performance, the accomplishments of the organization within the spate of the ending decade are fresh and still counting.

Hajj operation to Kaduna Muslim pilgrims welfare board is an all year round business with every day as part of the line-ups of activity. Each hajj year commences by lunching of the years hajj savings scheme. This is a beneficial arrangement which allows pilgrims to be making installmental hajj savings with the organization ahead of the forth coming hajj season. The savings scheme goes concurrently with other fruitful programs like aptitude screening exercises aimed at identifying inept pilgrims, medically deficient pilgrims among others, practical/iconic trainings and sensitization workshops.

The most common problem of hajj is the flight arrangement to and from the holy land. As an issue beyond the control of the states there is nothing anyone can do but wait for the planes to come. But even then Kaduna state pilgrims welfare board tries to manage the situation. No pilgrim is allowed to encamp unless there is a confirmation of flight. This is meant to avoid tense situations, whilst the management strives as far as possible to obtain the best bargain out of any such issue beyond its bounds.

The arrangement for all pilgrim embarkations is done in a way that a contingent of the officials advance to the location to prepare grounds for the pilgrims and others follow the pilgrims so that all pre- and post transit issues are attended to. The officials who most be in official uniforms are divided into different functional committees to cater for all identified areas of activities. The committees are security committee, the pilgrim dispatch committees, advance parties, housing, sanitation, female care, rituals, guides, Hadaya committees, preachers, medical etc.

The organisation exploits the use of modern technological developments like computer based technologies for data processing and relevant areas like pilgrim flight manifest in which bar codes software programs are used to scan implanted codes on the pilgrim passports for a very fast and convenient preparations of manifests, voice over service which networks functional operations and commands for rapid and emergency responses.

Regular information bulletins are dispatched to pilgrim houses intimating them on the organizations operational plans, hazards and adverse weather warnings and safety guidelines. News from Nigerian dailies are downloaded and the hard copies are kept in the makka office for the use of pilgrims. Female residences are secured to curb immoralities. In order to promote good conduct among pilgrims a stylized system of rewards and punishment is in use. Favouritism and preferential treatments are minimised and every act of the pilgrimage seem under control.

Usman, a commentator/specialist on Hajj affairs

Resides in no 25 Gwamna road, P.o Box 2059

Kaduna.

HAJJ 2008 AND THE LAUREL FOR ALL SEASONS

Published in 2008

By Abubakar Usman

elsardyx@yahoo.com

“We cannot all be trees and we cannot all be shrubs but the important thing in life is that if you are a tree, be the best of the trees and if you are a shrub, be the best of the shrubs” … Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe

It was with the above statement in mind that Late Alhaji Abdulrahamman Okene drew the conclusion to his book “The Ethos of progress for Nigeria”. In the conclusion, he distinguished between three groups of people in every human society. The first group are those who do not mind what happens. The second group are those who talk about what happens, and the last group are those who
make things happen.

In relating this classification to the Nigerian situation, Late Okene stressed that, unfortunately there care more of the first group of people than the rest of the groups essentially due to the prevalence of moral and spiritual poverty. The second class of people are less in number than the first group but more than the third group, the group discusses unfolding events and people involved in the scenarios. Though they are not in the position to change anything, they contribute to building up of national momentum and creation of awareness, he wrote.

The last group are those who make things happen. He opined that, any society where this group forms up to a quarter of its citizenry is bound to be prosperous.

In order to be in the third group we do not need not be engineers, doctors, lawyers, politicians or journalist. Late Okene further recalled what he once told his students on the occasion of a visit to his school by the late premier of the northern region. “I did not recognize my job (teaching) as a menial job. Rather the status of a job was determined by the spirit and output of the man doing the job ….that if the premier did his job perfunctorily, his position would be meaningless to the people and his job would consequently become menial to the citizens. If on the other hand a cleaner or a Clerk did this job with dedication to achieve results, his job would become more important to the community than that of the premier. The premier extolled his exhortations, he wrote.

It is with the above anecdote in mind that this piece seeks to extol and espouse on the first ever national recognition and honor on remarkable achievements in the hajj sector of Nigeria at its near silver jubilee of existence and since 1953 when Late Abubakar Imam first tabled a motion on the welfare of Nigerian pilgrims and in 1954 when all the recommendations were fully implemented and as well since 1964 when the National Honors Act No 5 was enacted.

Ordinarily it would appear bizarre for any meaningful award, more so the cherished national honors to go to the hajj sector for obvious reasons. One reason been the checkered history of hajj business and the continual deterioration of hajj management in Nigeria. Another reason is the real status of hajj in the scheme of Nigeria’s polity and the sense of ordering of our national priorities. Specifically the stance of the award recipient– a state level hajj manager overshadowed by the federal (NAHCON)

However in such rare situations where the wise words of Late Dr Azikiwe comes to play, in a situation where quintessential tree or shrub plays best and above expectations, we are left with naught but extraordinary developments. Extraordinary situations are record breaking developments as against donkey years of bad records and poor yields. It is extra-ordinary performances that transform disadvantages and poor levels of embarkations to for better accomplishments. In a nutshell this is the story of the National award - Member order of the Niger (MON) to handed to Mallam Abdullahi Mukhtar Mohammed, the Executive Secretary Kaduna State Muslin Pilgrims Welfare Board. An award which invariably is a credit to Kaduna states’ operations as a whole and just as he himself has dedicated it.

It was Dr Usman Bugaje who best captures the story of hajj in Nigeria as it has been before. In 1999 he wrote, “After 1966, hajj like any other institution lost that unique leadership, concern and selflessness of the Sardauna and started to go down the drain. The private agents started to have a field day taking pilgrims money as they pleased and doing all manners of fraud and prompting cries for change”. He proceeded to narrate how rapidly the volume of pilgrims increased vis-à-vis fraud and inefficiency which resulted in the abolishment of the private agents and the creation of Nigeria Pilgrims Board with its enabling powers. The board failed before long due to bureaucracy, inefficiency, political interference, corruption, political patronage, wastage, increasing number of pilgrims, nepotism stark corruption and selfishness.

At a point he alluded, hajj operations was like between the devil and the deep blue sea or like the sand dunes of the desert. He singled out 1996 as the worst and most humiliating in history. Blame worthy according to his text includes the officials from top down, ullema and the press. He finally suggested that, “what does the magic is the will to act, firmness and consistency.

And truly what actually did the magic and continually sustains it for us in Kaduna state within the span of this ending decade is unmistakably the combination of sincere will to act, firmness and consistency of actions among other virtues which together combined to checkmate the menace of vested and entrenched interest, corruption and sabotage. These problems put together constitute the shackles and clogs on the wheels of progress along the hajj path. Lo! The problems of hajj in Nigeria have never been far away from the same issues which bedevil the country itself.

It is the same principles that put to check the problem of the defunct hajj agents who after their disbandment in 1975 formed themselves around the pilgrim boards and continued to rip unsuspecting intending pilgrims of their money.

Other commendable developments in Kaduna state include the strengthening of the payment system, customized savings scheme system, restructured facilities and infrastructures, detailing of operations into functional committees, harnessing of modern technological developments in operations, efficient feedback mechanism for the benefit of the management, private public collaborations, decentralized health care delivery for pilgrims, effective liaison with service providers like airliners etc

Perhaps, these are some of the developments that have been observed by the Amirul Hajj Rt. Hon. Speaker Oledimeji Bankole when he undertook the tour of hajj establishments in the country to which he commended Kaduna state as second to non. He couldn’t have had any other reason to blow Kaduna’s trumpet than the realities on ground. Also the result of the Amirul Hajj teams’ comparative assessment of the entire operations and performances of pilgrims welfare boards around the country in 2008 places Kaduna on top of all.

It is a little wonder, the previously less attractive position of an Executive secretary Muslim pilgrims board Kaduna is recently drawing a lot of jostling and hustling around as we constantly see in the press. The seat most has gained a facelift and the power to appetize. So also is working in the organization.

Been the first real award of its kind in the hajj business as low priority a sector as it seem, in an era of despair -full of hues and cries and against all olds, it most be the laurel for all seasons, before and after it.

Lest I forget to condemn the unwholesome behavior of a reporter who despite his full knowledge decided to give his profession a bad name by reporting that 2000 pilgrims were stranded at jeddah airport instead of just 38 pilgrims delayed for just 2 days due to the insignificance of there number.

Usman is a member Writers Theater,

No 25 Gwamna Road, P.O Box 2059,
Kaduna.