2023 National Hajj Media Team: Mousa Ubandawaki commends Members

Alh. Mousa Ubandawaki, a Journalist of repute, Media expert of quantum experience and a Civil servant, currently is the Deputy Director in charge of Information and Publication at the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria Abuja. His journey to his current position as the Deputy Director in charge of Information and Publication at the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria started with the Heralds Newspaper in Kwara state. His desk protects and proclaims the image of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria NAHCON and disseminates information about it. He and his colleagues continue to use conventional media platforms: prints, electronic media, and new media to correct myriads of misrepresentation on the programs and activities of NAHCON.

In this interview with PEACE magazine in Makah, he explains how challenging his duties and those of his colleagues are in managing the information in-flow in the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria.

Excerpt:

How important is your department in the planning and execution of Hajj operations? 

The core of our activities is to proclaim the image of the NAHCON, disseminate information and let members of our primary constituency, the Nigerian pilgrims, the State pilgrims boards, private tour operators and other stakeholders in the Hajj industry be kept abreast of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria. When our activities are underreported, the office deploys available mediums to defend NAHCON and tell the real situations in the organisation. Like every job, there will be challenges, and the major challenge on this job is when people you assumed should be well informed about NAHCON activities choose to ignorantly or mischievously push to the general public false information about what we stand for or are misinforming the public about the commission’s activities. It can be challenging because we have to counter the negative narration. At any rate, we are constantly on our toes to do more in information dissemination on our activities to the public, notwithstanding the seemingly unfavourably reception. Arising from the above is to tell you the department is a part of Hajj operations.

Which is the most tasking job for your department in the last Hajj Operation?

The management of the backlash over the Muna incident was the most tasking. The situation in the Mashaair area was a situation no one foresaw and thus could not be prevented nor quickly changed. Ironically, pilgrims blamed the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria for the fiasco. It is painful because the backlash came even more from people one expected to know that NAHCON management and staff were not in control of the situations in Muna. The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria’s image was affected and mocked everywhere because of inadequate facilities and provisions. In those circumstances, we could not do much to defend the Commission beyond the little we did. It was a dilemma considering the emotional outburst of the people, who had the right to express their displeasures and felt uncomfortable for being made to go through hardship. Truly, the pilgrims had genuine reasons for complaining, but the complaint and agitation should not have been towards NAHCON Management and Staff, but rather Saudi Hajj Authority and Muasasa. Then how do we assuage these angry people who were bearing the discomfort except to allow their emotions to boil over and hope it becomes cool? At that moment, things were out of control and in this era of social media, many were sending images to their loved ones and the government of Nigeria, blaming NAHCON. The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria was between the Red Sea and blazing fire. The confusion in Muna was the most challenging aspect of this last Hajj.

If you compare the Hajj operations in the past and now, what is constant in their operations?

What is constant is that from my little experiences since I got here, I learnt that every Hajj has its unique aspect and presents different challenges each year. The situations differ and are diverse every year. In the first year, it could be about airlifting. In another year, it could be about accommodation. Health challenges or crowd control management can become another issue in the third year. So, no matter how much you prepare, you find out that there will be one challenge or the other that will be peculiar to that year. And like every human endeavour, one only needs to have a positive mindset and believe challenges come with solutions, and they will eventually pass over. Let’s me state these challenges are beyond the personalities at the helms of affairs in the commission.

In your tasks, how much cooperation is your department having from the management?

We are having maximum cooperation. It has been tremendous even though there are still many areas we want them to lend more support. We are hoping in the subsequent composition of the national Media team, management will ensure we get the best from all the media: Electronics, Print, New media, online platforms and private Media practitioners to harness their talents under one umbrella to represent the nation and chart a single cause of action for the benefit of the Commission and the Country as being done for the National Medical team.

What is your candid assessment of the work performance and service delivery of the 2023 National Hajj Media Team?

I have to say since the introduction of the National Media team, my department has been enjoying good working relationships with members of each media team, even though there is a need for improvement in some areas. Their performances and work delivery have been a bag of blessings to the commission and Nigeria at large. But, just like the Hajj operations, which come with different situations, members of the national media team also present different orientations and attitudinal behaviours. That is understandable. If one assembles a group of people, they cannot behave in the same manner because we are from different backgrounds and orientations, even though we are of the same religion. In reference to their contributions to the set goals, I will give them a credit score rating because they have done very well. I commend their support and cooperation while discharging their expected duties during the last Hajj operation. My colleagues who participated as members of the National Media Team for the Hajj exercise have done well. However, NAHCON still reckons on their cooperation, support, and assistance, even while back to their various media houses. Nigerian Muslims needed to be well informed on the activities and responsibilities of NAHCON and other stakeholders. I believe if everybody is well informed, the issue of game-blaming will not arise in the future like it happened over the Muna saga. The team in Nigeria’s yearly Hajj operations should form a synergy so we can achieve success that is more beneficial to the country than for us to expose ourselves to the world by engaging in faults finding here and there to Discredit staff and management of NAHCON.

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