Sokoto – The Sokoto State Pilgrims Welfare Agency (PWA) said it had so far remitted over N1.6 billion to the National Hajj Commission ( NAHCON) for the 2016 Hajj.
The Director-General of the agency, Alhaji Ibrahm Umar made the disclosure in Sokoto on Saturday, during the payment of N159 million as refunds to 4,997 pilgrims from the state who performed the 2015 hajj.
According to the Umar, the remittance was for 50 per cent of the 4,948 hajj seats allocated to the state by NAHCON for the forthcoming exercise.
”All the seats had been allocated to the 23 local governments in the state, while efforts are on to collect the balance and remit same to the commission,” Umar added.
On the refunds, Umar said that 4,997 pilgrims who performed the 2015 hajj from the state would benefit from the gesture.
He said that the payment would be completed in the next 26 days and it would be conducted in three categories.
”The first category is for 128 pilgrims who died in the Mina stampede as well as two of them who were injured as a result of the stampede.
”The families of the deceased pilgrims and the injured ones will each receive N158, 744. 77 kobo,” he said.
According to the Director-General, the second category is for 76 pilgrims who paid for the fares and could not perform the hajj.
Umar said that this category of pilgrims had the option of collecting their fares or a hajj seat for the 2016 exercise.
“In the same vein, the third category is for the 4,793 pilgrims who performed the hajj,’’ he said.
He said that this category of pilgrims would each receive N16, 436.22 kobo.
Umar said that the refunds were for some services not rendered during the 2015 exercise.
The services include tents, feeding at Mina, Jeddah and Medinah as well as return ticket for the deceased pilgrims, among others.
He said that the agency had set up various committees to ensure the success of the exercise across the state.
”After the completion of the exercise, any uncollected money will be returned to NAHCON,” Umar said.
Umar warned that any official of the agency found wanting during the exercise would be sanctioned.
Two beneficiaries, Shehu Abdullahi and Abubakar Chika, commended the commission and the agency for the gesture. (NAN)