The Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Agency reveals that no fewer than 156 intending pilgrims will lose going to the holy land this year due to over sale of seats by the deposed agency officials.
The National Hajj Commission allocated 6144 seats to Kano but the Commission sold 156 more seats.
The revelation was made by the Director General of the Agency Laminu Rabiu in a press conference with newsmen on Wednesday in Kano.
He explained that the officials behind this will be investigated and prosecuted accordingly after the Hajj.
He appealed to those affected to be patient while he assures then that they will be considered among the first set in the coming Hajj.
Meanwhile, only 2558 pilgrims have been transported to the holy land by the Agency as it awaits allocation of aircrafts to the the state by the National Hajj Commission in the next few days.
“Kano state has been allocated 6144. On resumption of duty after my appointment as the Director General, I found out that all the seats have been sold out by the them Secretary. I did no meet any available seats.
“Mores so, he had oversold the seats by about 156 seats, meaning that they will not be able to perform the Hajj even after making all payments and fulfilling the requirements.
“It is really very sad to collect people’s money and disappoint them after they might have informed all and sundry that they were going to attend the pilgrimage” he stated.
He added that “we have pleased with them to be patient and assured them that next year they will be among the first to be considered. Already 2558 have seems been successfully airlifted to the holy land.
“We are going to investigate the incident after the Hajj and ensure that whosoever is found guilty of any misdoings faces the wrath of the law accordingly” he stated.
He finally dismissed allegations of allocating other people’s seats to others insisting that the seats have since been exhausted and there was no seat to allocate to anybody this year.
(Vanguard)
