Why intending pilgrims in Kano may miss Hajj exercise ― Executive Secretary

The Executive Secretary, Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Abba Muhammad Dambatta, has said that it is inevitable some intending pilgrims will miss the Hajj 2022 due to number of factors.

Meanwhile, NAHCON, in a statement by Acting Director, Public Affairs, Fatima Sanda Usara, said the commission had provided aircraft for the mission.

It will be recalled that NAHCON had allocated 2, 239 slots to the state, but less than a half of this figure had been airlifted to Saudi Arabia, while 1,300 are still stranded.

While briefing with pressmen in Kano on Tuesday, Mr Dambatta said the issue of air carrier and visa cancellation were the reasons why some of the state’s intending pilgrims may miss this year’s Hajj.

He noted that the state’s pilgrims welfare board had been using Max Air as the air carrier that transports intending pilgrims for many years.

According to him, this year, according to Mr Dambatta, the NAHCON said it had assigned Azman Air to airlift the intending pilgrims of Kano State, a decision that the board rejected.

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He disclosed that on getting the information, he wrote the NAHCON to inform the commission that Kano already had agreement with Max Air, but the Hajj regulator insisted that Azman Air would airlift Kano pilgrims.

He said: “Since the commencement of the operation, the airline has airlifted only 929 pilgrims in only three trips because they use aircraft with lower capacity.

“I have made an effort to the extent that I sought the intervention of His Excellency, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, but the commission insisted that we should go by Azman Air.”

Secondly, “the issue of visa is another problem that might cost some pilgrims miss this year’s Hajj,” disclosing that about 66 visas had been cancelled.

He said there are 1,300 pilgrims stranded in the state, adding that he had requested for aircraft to rescue them.

“I had to contact Governor Ganduje about these stranded pilgrims who were subjected to this hardship by the air carrier assigned to airlift them.

“The governor had intervened and now some aircraft are on the way to rescue them,” said Mr Dambatta.

While reacting to the issue, NAHCON, in a statement by Usara, Acting Director, Public Affairs said the commission had provided aircraft for rescue mission.

The statement said the rescue operation will be conducted in Abuja, Lagos, and Kano. FlyNas will provide three aircraft while Kam Air, another Saudi Airline, has been contacted on standby in case there is need to deploy another aircraft.

“Similarly, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria is determined all intending pilgrims that NAHCON will not leave any pilgrim behind God willing. The chairman will remain behind to ensure that no one is disenfranchised,” said the statement.

Commenting on the incident, the officer in charge of Hajj operation in Azman Air in Kano, Mr Nuraddeen, said the NAHCON is the body responsible for assigning the licensed airlines to airlift pilgrims.

He added that the delay was caused after the NAHCON directed Azman Air to concentrate on airlifting Kaduna State intending pilgrims, adding that it had only one flight to finish with the Kaduna pilgrims.

For Kano intending pilgrims, Mr Nuraddeen assured that no pilgrim would be left out as the NAHCON had directed that attention should now be turned to Kano.

He revealed that Azman Air would airlift about 400 intending pilgrims on Tuesday while sister airlines will carry the remaining, assuring that “no pilgrim will be left out.”