Musa Na Allah, Sokoto
Sokoto States’ pilgrims for 2023 are to receive refunds for services not rendered by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the former Hajj exercise.
The management of the State Pilgrims Welfare Agency (PWA) under the leadership of Alhaji Aliyu had since set up a committee to monitor the screening of all 2023 pilgrims from the state who were entitled to receive the refunds.
According to a statement made available to our Correspondent by the Communication Officer of the Agency, Danmalan Bashar Balarabe funds for payment were paid through the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for onward disbursement to respective State Pilgrims Welfare Boards across the country.
According to the statement, the information for the payment to the former pilgrims was disclosed by Sokoto PWA officials shortly after a stakeholders meeting held at the conference hall of the Agency on Friday.
The meeting was also held in preparation for the commencement of sales of 2025 Hajj seats allocated to the state by NAHCON.
The chairman of Sokoto PWA Alhaji Aliyu Musa represented by the director administration, who also doubles as acting secretary of the Agency Ladan Ibrahim said the committee formed is saddled with tasked of ensuring close monitoring of every detail of the screening and payments exercise to ensure every beneficiary received his or her entitlement.
He urged local government officials to form sub-committees at their levels and warned them to strictly adhere to the rules of the disbursement.
He said anti-corruption agencies, EFCC, ICPC, and security operatives were asked and directly involved to monitor the payment exercise at all levels.
In comments, the Director of Hajj Operations Sokoto PWA, Malam Abubakar Cika urged beneficiaries to provide necessary documents and information during the screening.
Each former pilgrim is expected to come along with his international passport, traveling documents, previous payment details, and contact and account numbers.
The Custodian of the funds and Director of Finance of the Agency, Nasiru Abubakar assured immediate transfers to the accounts of beneficiaries as soon they are verified and cleared by the committee.
The PWA committee members are Abubakar Cika, Director of Hajj Operations as Chairman, two assistant Hajj Registration Officers, Ibrahim Muhammad in charge of State Government officials, and Amiru Yusuf in charge of pilgrims from PWA, Danmallam Bashir Balarabe Media Aid and Surajo Bello Sifawa as secretary of the committee.
At local government levels, the committee is headed by the local government secretary as chairman, Former and present Assistant Hajj registration officers in each Local Government, and any other stakeholder with knowledge of the exercise to be assigned by the local government.
