The Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board says it had so far remitted N4billion to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), as part payment for this year’s Hajj seats allocated to the state.
The board’s Permanent Secretary, Malam Abba Yakubu, disclosed this on Friday in Kano at a two-day capacity building workshop organised for staff of the board.
He said the money was remitted to the commission to enable it commence preparations for the upcoming Hajj operation.
“The amount remitted to the commission is part payment for the Hajj seats allocated to the state by NAHCON, this year,’’ he said.
He said the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria had allocated 6,602 seats to Kano state which had since been sold to intending pilgrims in the 44 Local Government Areas of the state.
He said the board had also commenced screening of the intending pilgrims at the 16 designated centres, as part of efforts to ascertain their health status.
He said the mandatory screening being conducted was in compliance with NAHCON’s directive to all the pilgrims welfare boards in the country.
“Part of the screening is to ensure that old persons have relations that will accompany them, while women must have (muharrams) male partners that will accompany them to the Holy Land,’’ he said.
The permanent secretary said the training was aimed at improving the skills of the staff for effective service delivery.
According to him, the board had also sponsored the training of five of its staff on Lesser Hajj operations, organised by the International Air Transport Agency (IATA).
He advised staff of the board to be computer literate, in view of the new reforms being introduced by the commission, to enable them meet global standards.
The permanent secretary called on the participants to make the best use of the training to improve their performance.
NAN reports that the workshop is being attended by the state officials and coordinators from the 44 local government councils of the state. (NAN)
MTM/JIE/PIO