Govt seeks slash in hajj fares

The Katsina State government has called on the federal government to find ways of reducing the cost of hajj operations. The state’s deputy goveror, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu made the call when he received the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Zikirullah Kunle-Hassan, who was on a working visit to the state.

The deputy governor said that the federal government’s intervention would enable more Muslims in the country perform the religious obligation.

Alhaji Yakubu also urged the NAHCON to restore the zonal status of Katsina, saying, merging the state with Kano zone has made the operations “more problematic due to the sheer size of contingents of the two states”.

He also urged the NAHCON to review its decision on the centralization of the activities of medical teams which make medical staff sponsored by states to report to the commission during hajj operation.

Earlier, the NAHCON Chairman, Alh. Kunle-Hassan, said his team was in the state to inspect its hajj camp and interact with stakeholders including the state governor and the Emir, with a view to seeking their guidance and support in the discharge of their responsibility.

He adjudged the Katsina Hajj Camp to be one of the best in the country in terms of facilities, expressing his satisfaction with what he saw on ground.

He disclosed that NAHCON has introduced Hajj Saving Scheme (HSS) with a view to assisting less privileged people perform hajj, adding that the commission would sign an agreement with Jaiz Bank next week in that regard.

“This is the first in the history of this country that Hajj Saving Scheme is introduced in order to make cost of hajj operation affordable since it involves plan over a period of time”, he said.