Buhari requests S/Arabia to review hajj visa policy

President Muhammadu Buhari has requested the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to ease Hajj visa processing difficulties faced by intending pilgrims in Nigeria for the 2018 exercise.

A formal letter to King Salman Bin Abdul-Aziz was conveyed, Wednesday, by Nigeria’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Justice Isa Dodo (rtd), according to a statement by Fatima Sanda Usara, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria’s (NAHCON) Head of Public Affairs.

Justice Dodo was accompanied by Nigeria’s Consul-General in Jeddah, Ambassador Muhammad Sani Yunusa and the Chairman NAHCON, Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammad.

While delivering the letter, Justice Dodo expressed the concern of President Buhari over the present difficulties faced by intending pilgrims in securing visas during the Umrah season as a result of the newly introduced policy of biometrics capturing of applicants.

In his address at the meeting, NAHCON chairman said the commencement of the new visa policy was not properly communicated to the relevant Nigerian authorities in charge of Hajj and Umrah.

In addition, the facilities deployed to implement the policy are grossly inadequate, he added.

The Chairman therefore reiterated Nigeria’s request for a suspension of the policy for Hajj 2018.

Responding on behalf of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Director General in Charge of Makkah Branch, Mr Jamaal Balkhoyor, undertook to make appropriate recommendations to accompany the letter.

He mentioned that in spite of the challenge, about 50,000 biometric records have been captured since the policy commenced in 2017.