The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and Islamic clerics (Ulama) have urged Muslims to embrace the COVID-19 vaccines as the world contains the spread of the pandemic.
They made the appeal at a meeting between the commission and the Ulama from across the country on Monday in Abuja.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the commission, Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan, said the meeting was organised to enable NAHCON to interact and intimate clerics on its vision and activities as well as seek advice on Hajj matters.
In a chat with Daily Times, the NAHCON boss said feelers from Saudi Arabia revealed that the country’s Ministry of Health had made the COVID-19 vaccination compulsory.
“That is the position of the Saudi authorities that it is compulsory to take the vaccines. This is a matter we have no choice in,” he said.
Hassan said the commission could not go against the directive of the Nigerian government on the need to take the vaccination, urging Muslims to take advantage of the first batch of 3.9 million doses received on Tuesday.
“It is clear as a government organization, we are bound by the rules of the government. Once the government directs, we have no choice. We are encouraging Muslims to start taking the vaccines.