A few days ago, I released a short post about Ustaadh DHIKRULLAHI KUNLE HASSAN, the immediate past chair of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria. While many people acknowledged the truth of my post, few others private chatted me to fault the axiom, so much that a disgruntled tour operator appealed to me to pull down the post.
Anyway, the value of a statement is usually determined by the time and period that the statement is made. This is the right time to celebrate the hero of Hajj operation in Nigeria called Kunle Hassan. I make bold to call him by his celebrated name, simply because I call Allah, my Lord and creator, by His beautiful Name.
I remember writing a piece to celebrate his exceptional skills and character as soon as he was appointed to chair the commission in 2019. But with the breakout of the COVID plague, the skeptical world was prevented from witnessing the beauty of having a creative tour manager at the Hajj house in Abuja, because the operation was not open to the world in the two consecutive years of his appointment.
When Hajj was re-opened to the world in 2022, we can vividly remember the trial of having to manage the backlog of pilgrims and a sundry other challenges engendered by Saudi Arabia’s post covid Hajj reforms, which had almost devastated the commission, the state welfare boards and the private tour operators, if not for the exceptional managerial skill of Barrister Dhikrullahi Kunle Hassan.
Then, came the crisis of logistics suffered by tour operators during the operation of 2023, when the chartered Arik flight failed to deliver as arranged. Of course, I took exception to the multiple blames heaped on the National Hajj Commission presided over by Barrister Kunle Hassan; for after all, the choice of Arik as a pre-dominant carrier of Tour operators was solely that of the Association.
When the Association of Tour operators chose to fly their pilgrims on the charter Arik for the fear of confronting the exorbitant cost of the regular flight and perhaps to maximize profits, Ustaadh Dhikrullahi wasn’t there to benefit anything; but merely to help facilitate the contract and the requisite payment through the right channel – the Central Bank of Nigeria.
So, what was his fault that the skeptical minds had called for his head? If Arik had failed or reneged on its contract with Tour operators, for whatever reason, how did that become the fault of Ustaadh Dhikrullahi Kunle Hassan? But then, we are in Nigeria where competence suffers in the face of nepotism. Here, in our great country, it’s not about your ability, it’s simply about where you belong.
No one spoke about the unprecedented achievements of this creative mind. Those who are skillful at conspiring failed to note the sublime ideas of Hajj Institute, Hajj Saving Scheme, the Hajj Staff welfare, the multiple buildings in Hajj House and many others, innovated by Barrister Kunle Hassan. I wonder if any Hajj boss will ever be as compassionate with the state welfare boards and the tour operators as this great man of exceptional nobility!
Indeed, Ustaadh Dhikrullahi Kunle Hassan had entered and come out of the Nigerian Hajj House with a pure white stainless attire proudly decorated and beautifully adorned with medals of gold, honour, integrity and piety which he had always worn as our senior and mentor in Daaru Ta’leemil A’rabi wal Islami in Lawanson and also our leader in MSSN.
I wish you could now flaunt your bracelets of honour and integrity.
Ustaadh, where is your medals of gold?
May Allah keep honoring you for making us proud…
Abu Mazeedatilkhayr Bn Sa’eed writes from Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
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