(NAN)
The Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board says 600 intending pilgrims who paid for the 2022 Hajj fares through the board will not perform the pilgrimage.
The board’s Executive Secretary, Alhaji Muhammad Abba-Dambatta, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Kano.
He said that was due to the inability of the Hajj carrier to complete transportation of the pilgrims before the expiration of the deadline for closure of Saudi-Arabian airports.
Abba-Dambatta revealed that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) allocated 2,229 hajj seats to the state for the 2022 pilgrimage.
According to him, the state proposed Max Air as the carrier for the transportation of its intending pilgrims, but NAHCON approved Azman Air.
He explained further that they made several efforts to make NAHCON change the carrier, but were not successful.
Abba-Dambatta claimed that Azman Air had small aircraft that carried less number of passengers.
“Azman Air has small aircraft that carry about 100 to 400 passengers and spend six hours from Kano to Madina.
“The carrier did seven flights and was able to transport only about 1,690 intending pilgrims, but big aircraft carry about 500 passengers and spend four hours from Kano to Saudi Arabia.
“I, the board Chairman and the remaining staff decided to come down and allow other people to go and perform the religious obligation.
“We explained the situation to the affected people, and pray to Allah to avert future occurrences and reward all those who were unable to make it this year.
“We will be with them after the Arafat to assist them in carrying out the remaining Hajj rites,” he said.
NAN recalls that the General Manager, Azman Air, Alhaji Suleiman Lawal, had told newsmen that NAHCON gave them 14 states and the Armed Forces.
He said: “We have finished all the states allocated to us except Kano.
“And that was because the state rejected us initially as their carrier, that was why we decided to go to other states,” he said.
Lawal revealed that they were using two aircraft, one had 409 capacity, while the other one had 110 capacity in conducting the operations.