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5 May 2009 Kano State may lose 40 seats for this
year's Hajj, following the defection of eight of its
pilgrims during the 2008 Hajj exercise,
Director-General of the state's Pilgrims Welfare Board
Alhaji Sani Kofar-Mata has said.
He told newsmen in Kano yesterday that the measure
would be taken if the Saudi authorities decide to
apply their sanctions on any state pilgrims welfare
agency, whose pilgrims defected in the holy land.
Mata said if the law took effect from this year,
the Saudi authorities would withdraw five seats for
each of the eight pilgrims, who defected in the holy
land last year.
Commenting on preparations for this year's Hajj, he
said pilgrims from the state had already commenced
payment of fares for the exercise, using last year's
rate.
The Director-General said the rates stood at
N511,000 for big seat, N452,000 for medium and
N422,000 for the small one, adding that May 15 had
been fixed as the deadline for payment.
He explained that the rates were temporary, pending
the announcement of the actual fares by the National
Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), which would
enable the board to ask the intending pilgrims to pay
the difference.
He said 7,000 pilgrims from the state were expected
to perform this year's Hajj, adding that each of them
would pay his fares in his local government area.
(NAN). |
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