…Calls on passports submission
The Executive Secretary, Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Abba Muhammad Dambatta has assured the state intending pilgrims not to be worried over the expected increase in airline tickets caused by the closure of Sudan Air Space.
He assured that Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of the state would not let them to suffer.
He made the assurance during a Radio programme in Kano recently.
He recalled that last year, the governor settled N21 million Covid-19 test debt to over 700 state intending pilgrims whom their results expired before the trip.
Alhaji Dambatta noted that the National Hajj Commission, with the state Pilgrims Welfare Boards, would met to discuss on how to solve the issues of ticket increments as a result of Sudan war.
He revealed that in normal trip to Saudi Arabia from Nigeria is about four hours trip, lamenting that due to Sudan war, air carriers have to divert to other route which would be about eight hours.
Therefore, he said, the four-hour difference is a huge amount which the airlines want to recover.
He assured that already the matter was before President Muhammadu Buhari for final decision.
He called on intending pilgrims who collected their passports for last lesser Hajj to return them as delay may attract visa charges.
He added that the board already classified the state intending pilgrims in groups of 100 people for easy airlifting.
The Executive Secretary revealed that the board accorded priority for this year’s Hajj to people who completed their payment last year, but could not make the trip as well as those who paid through Jaiz Bank Scheme and private.
Alhaji Dambatta said all the necessary arrangements for the Hajj operations are almost completed, as accommodations and other logistics were secured.
First published by triumphnewspaper
