The Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Agency, KSPWA says investigation will soon commence on the over sale of Hajj seats to intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia from the state for the year 2023.
The Director General of the Agency, Laminu Rabiu stated this in a press conference in Kano state north Western Nigeria.
He said the National Hajj Commission allocated 6,144 seats to Kano state for the 2023 Hajj year but the immediate past management and some staff of the agency sold 156 extra seats to the unsuspecting public, who will be missing the holy pilgrimage.
Rabiu explained that the officials behind the sales will be investigated and prosecuted accordingly after the Hajj.
He appealed to those affected to be patient while assuring them that they will be considered among the first set in the coming Hajj.
“Kano state was allocated 6,144 seats. On resumption of duty after my appointment as the Director General, I found out that all the seats have been sold out by the then Executive Secretary.
“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.
“We have pleaded 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 further dismissed allegations of allocating other people’s seats to others insisting that the seats have since been exhausted before he took over the leadership of the agency.
According to him, only 2,558 pilgrims have so been transported to the holy land in five flights by the Agency as it awaits allocation of aircraft to the state by the National Hajj Commission in the next few days.
He added that all the pilgrims so far airlifted are doing well and performing their rites in the Holy Land.
PIAK
