NAHCON Takes Over Abuja Metro Plaza As New Headquarters

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has taken over the Abuja Metro Plaza which will now serve as its new corporate headquarters. The commission is moving from Sokoto House where it has operated for the past ten years.

The official handing over and signing of documents was performed by the Managing Director of the Asset Management Commission of Nigeria (AMCON), Mr Ahmed Kuru who was represented by the head of subsidiaries and advisory department, Mr Benedict Daminabo.

Speaking at the event, the AMCON boss praised NAHCON for its vision and doggedness to acquire the property in the face of economic realities the country is passing through presently. Kuru said NAHCON went through a thorough process to acquire the property which he described as an achievement and a legacy of a lifetime for the Muslims especially and Nigerians in general.

He said, “This property has been handed over to NAHCON, it is now their asset and they can turn it around into so many assets and other things that favours them. It is entirely theirs and AMCON has no hand again in this property and now it is a bonafide property of NAHCON. This property cannot be disposed of without going through the due process of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and that is the procedure that AMCON went through. And aside that on the part of AMCON, we have to also get approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that was obtained before we even attempted a kobo from NAHCON. Having approved that sale, NAHCON has actually paid off everything to AMCON.”

The chairman/CEO of NAHCON, Barrister Abdullahi Muhammad Mukhtar, said the commission want to be independent of government funding hence the desire to acquire a befitting corporate headquarters that will stand the test of time which the coming generation will be proud of. He stated that the journey to acquire a befitting edifice to NAHCON started during the tenure of his predecessor and the current FCT minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello who always showed his desires to achieve great things while at the commission. He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his role in making their dream come into reality while he called on the staff of the commission to guard the property jealously.

“Our appreciation goes to Mr President, the vice president, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP), Ministries of Work and Justice and the leadership of the National Assembly because without their support we would not be able to acquire this property. We also thank AMCON for playing a prominent role in this regard too. It will interest you to know that there is a conference room here which can sit 500 people at a go and it will also serve as venue for the training of hajj operators to enhance hajj operations in Nigeria. We also plan to have a befitting radio and television studio with world class facilities,” he said.

LEADERSHIP recall that the NAHCON boss had during his screening at the National Assembly in 2015 promised to acquire a befitting property for the commission before the end of his tenure.