National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia may prevent pilgrims from countries with high Coronavirus cases from taking part in this year’s Hajj operations.
NAHCON Chief Executive Officer, Kunle Hassan Zikrullah, disclosed this.
Zikrullah said NAHCON was waiting for the Saudi government’s official decision on the 2020 Hajj pilgrimage before taking any further step.
The NAHCON boss, in a statement on Wednesday night by the commission’s Assistant Director, Information and Publication, Mousa Ubandawaki, made the clarification during a zoom video conference seminar hosted by the Association of Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria with the theme, ‘The future of Hajj and Umrah operations after the pandemic.’
He expressed optimism that the COVID-19 pandemic won’t hinder the performance of the 2020 Hajj.
According to Zikrullah, “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 advised intending pilgrims to be ready to accept any decision reached by the Saudi Government as the will of Allah, saying that Islam places more value on life than any religious rites.