The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria said, on Wednesday, that the county was waiting for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to make an official decision on the 2020 Hajj operations before taking a position.
The Chief Executive Officer of NAHCON, Kunle Hassan Zikrullah, who disclosed this, added that Saudi Arabia could roll out new measures, in line with the world’s efforts at containing the spread of COVID-19.
The measures, he said, might include stopping pilgrims from countries with prevalent cases of COVID-19 from partaking in the 2020 Hajj operations.
A statement by the Assistant Director, Information and Publication, NAHCON, Mousa Ubandawaki, quoted Zikrullah as saying that intending pilgrims should accept whatever the Saudi authorities decide.
He spoke during a Zoom Video Conference hosted by the Association of Hajj and Umrah Operators with the theme, ‘The future of Hajj and Umrah operations after the pandemic’.
“Only the Saudi authorities can take the final decision. We can only take our own decision in light of the Saudi one. Saudi Arabia might also adopt other measures like pegging the allocation of pilgrims allowed in each country, banning of pilgrims from countries with prevalent cases of the COVID-19, exemption of certain categories of persons like the aged, persons with an underlying health challenge or complications and persons testing positive for Coronavirus,” he said.
While admonishing intending pilgrims to accept whatever decision would be taken by the Saudi Government as the will of Allah, he stressed that Islam places more value on life than any religious rites.
