Nigeria
risks loosing $68million to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the
forthcoming 2017 hajj, following the allocation of 45 per cent of the
total pilgrims to a Saudi Arabia-based airline, FlyNas, by National Hajj
Commission (NAHCON).
Already,
local stakeholders in the sector have raised eyebrow as they described
the move as a “rip off that has the capacity to stunt growth in Nigeria
airline industry.”
A source
also told THISDAY that already “Airline business is mega box conducted
in dollars and 45 per cent simply translated to a big minus to Nigeria
because the country will lose so much money.”
In total,
95,000 Nigerian would be performing the 2017 hajj that attracted the
lowest fee of N1,500,000 covering flight ticket, royalty, accommodation,
intra and inter city travels and host of others.
Investigation
revealed that NAHCON’s decision to engaged the services a Saudi
Arabia-based airline Fly Nas for 2017 hajj was a lopsided policy that
has further worsen unfavorable trade balance with the Saudis.
Commenting
further on the implications of such policy, the aviation source said:
“Instead of encouraging our indigenous airliners, NAHCON has ended up
sending them away from the business circle in favour of a foreign
airline. It is high time for the federal government to come to the aide
of indigenous airliners before it is too late.”
But NAHCON
Chief Media Relation Officer, Alhaji Adamu Hassan Abdullahi, in a
telephone chat, confirmed the allocation of 45 per cent of total number
of Nigerian pilgrims to Flynas, saying “it was a policy introduced by
Saudi authority.”
He dismissed
the anticipatory loss as ruse, stressing that “Nigeria is not going to
lose $68million as claimed by the service providers.”
Similarly,
there had been groundswell of protest across the 36 states pilgrims
welfare boards over what they called “unilateral decision of NAHCON to
impose carrier on them contrary to what was obtained in the past.
It was also
learnt that in recent meeting held at Saudi Arabia by top Nigerian
pilgrimage officials, they agreed among other things to fought and
exert their independence and block overbearing influence of the
regulatory agency.
the source
said the process was still one but from the look of things, NAHCON would
not do justice to the state pilgrims’ boards, as according to him if
care is not taken, the commission will just allocate airlines to states
without consulting the states as it does last year.
When
contacted, the National Hajj Commission Chief Media Relation Officer,
Alhaji Adamu Hassan Abdullahi in a telephone chat noted that the Hajj
regulatory agency was not blame for the policy.
“the Saudi
Authority imposed Flynas on countries participating in hajj operation,
and according to the policy each country must allocate 50 per cent of
its total pilgrims to Flynas.”
Speaking
further, “NAHCON chairman insisted that it should not be 50/50 and
because of the good relationship between Nigeria and Saudi, we are
allowed to allocate 45 per cent instead of 50 per cent.”
He said
“unlike Nigeria, Niger Republic and Senegal had to allocate all their
pilgrims to Flynas because Kabo air that usually operates in the two
countries was denied a chance for being a foreign airline, and to be
honest with you, Nigeria is not going to lose $68million as claimed by
the service providers” .
Consequently, NAHCON image Maker advised the service providers to blame Saudi Authorities and not the Hajj regulatory agency.
He said
instead, NAHCON is fighting for Nigerian businessmen, as according to
him the commission is in discussion with the Saudi Chamber of Commerce
to see how Nigerian businessmen can import goods to Saudi during hajj.
Source:-thisdaylive.com
