The Sokoto State Pilgrims Welfare Agency (PWA) says it is set to remit over N2.7 billion to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for Hajj seats, an Official has disclosed.
The Director-General of the agency, Alhaji Ibrahim Umar told newsmen in Sokoto on Tuesday that the money would be the payment for fifty per cent of the 5,571 Hajj seats allocated to the state.
Umar said:” the commission had allocated 5,571 hajj seats to the state at N1 million each, pending the final announcement of the substantive fare for the year.
” The agency had allocated 4,571 seats to the 23 local governments of the state, while 500 seats were reserved at the agency for federal workers and residents from other states.
” In the same vein, 500 seats were reserved at the agency for probable requests for seats from the local governments,” he said.
Umar stated that only Gada, Wurno, Sokoto North, Shagari, Tambuwal and Illela local governments had each paid eighty per cent of their allocated hajj seats.
”The rest made payment between twenty to fifty per cent and we have given them up to March 30 to complete the payment of their allocated hajj seats.
”However, the commission has given the various Pilgrims Welfare Agencies in the country a deadline of March 24 to remit fifty per cent of their allocated hajj seats.
”We are trying to meet the deadline in the next three days, as the N2.7 billion is ready,” Umar said.
The director-general explained that each of the prospective pilgrims must have a guarantor in the person of a civil servant, on grade level 12 and above.
According to him, the guarantor can also be a prominent politician, religious leader, district head or any traditional ruler.
” It is after that we will conduct interviews and a week training for them, after which they would be given certificates qualifying them to perform the forthcoming hajj.
”All prospective pilgrims who have reached 70 years of age and above are disqualified from performing the hajj, just like any other woman having one month pregnancy and above,” Umar added.
He further said that some of the local governments had sold between five to six hajj seats to some ”special” individuals and middlemen, contrary to the earlier warning by the agency against doing so.
Umar said the agency, therefore, has set up a committee to go round the 23 local governments, with a view to fish them out.
He said all those seats illegally sold would be revoked and returned to the agency for proper allocation to other prospective pilgrims.
The director-general further explained that the agency had concluded arrangement with the state government to conduct a successful hajj. (NAN)
BRM/AFA