Makkah: Prof. Abdullahi Usman, the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), has described the media reportage on the just-concluded Hajj operation as contributions to defending and projecting a positive image of Islam.
Usman said this at a Sunday farewell dinner organised for the NAHCON National Media Team in Makkah.
He said the dinner was organised to appreciate and celebrate the media representatives who contributed to the success of the 2025 Hajj operation.
“We gather here to congratulate ourselves and celebrate our success in this Hajj operation. We thank almighty Allah and thank you all.
“I have no words in my mind other than to express what I feel about your positive cooperation.
“You are our eyes; you are the only way to know and see what we are doing here. You have done your own. We thank you and almighty Allah for making it possible for us to work together,” he said.
In his remarks, Prof. Abubakar Yagawal, NAHCON’s Commissioner for Policy, Research, Statistics, Information, and Library Services (PRSILS), said the media’s performance regarding the 2025 Hajj operation was commendable.
According to Yagawal, this year is different from the previous years in terms of media services.
“You know, your assignment is perilous. You can change black to white and white to black with your tongue and pen if you like.
“This year, Alhamdulillah, your performance at NAHCON has been very positive. You worked tirelessly to improve our distorted image for the better,” he said.
The NAHCON commissioner recalled that the commission received little positive reportage on the Hajj operation last year and described this year’s media services as commendable.
“Last year, we suffered a lot, but this year, inshallah, with what we have seen, your coverage right from Medina, Mashair, back to Makkah, all your reports to the National Hajj Commission are positive,” he said.
Prince Anofi Elegushi, NAHCON’s Commissioner of Operations, Inspectorate and Licensing, thanked the media for sharing the commission’s success stories on the 2025 Hajj operations.
Elegushi said, “I want to use this medium to express my appreciation to the media team for the wonderful job they have done and are still doing because the job is not limited to Saudi Arabia.
“We believe in you, that you will continue to report the positive side of us because all you have done is very positive,” he said.
The NAHCON’s Commissioner of Finance, Malam Aliyu Abdulrasaq, also lauded the objectivity in the media reportage.
“You do not just own the pen, but you possess the truth.
“Objectivity in your reportage can go a long way to help this nation. The misconception we face today is because of those who want to mislead the public.
“With your courage in reporting the truth, we will be far apart from those who want to tarnish Nigeria’s image.
“I want to say again that we are happy for the job well done,” he said.
