Over 200 intending pilgrims on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest in Kano over the non-allocation of Hajj seats to them by the authorities concerned.
The protesters converged at Kano State Pilgrims Board and the Main Branch of Jaiz Bank, the financial institution that processed their payment through a savings scheme.
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Daily Telescope learnt that the affected intending pilgrims were said to have completed their payment for this year’s hajj through Jaiz bank’s hajj savings scheme.
The 284 intending pilgrims, Daily Telescope gathered were excluded in the allocations of hajj seats despite even though they have completed payment of the stipulated amount.
Some of the affected intending pilgrims were said to have started the saving scheme since 2019.
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One of the affected intending pilgrims, who pleaded for anonymity for fears of victimization, told Daily Telescope that said after they deposited their money with Jaiz bank, Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board had collected their travelling documents for processing their trips to the holy land.
“We are now left stranded with no any assurance. Jaiz Bank have told us that of course there’s a problem and they are working towards ratifying the problem.”
“It was gathered that the names of the aggrieved intending pilgrims had been sent to the state pilgrims board and documented no allocation for them because of the limited number of the Hajj seats allocated to states this year.
“Kano state pilgrim board is neck tied with over a hundred names expressly sent from NAHCON to be given allocation while many who saved for years under the Hajj scheme were left stranded with no assurance.
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When contacted, the Executive Secretary of Kano Pilgrim’s Board, Abba Dambatta said the board is doing all it can to resolve the problem, stressing that there was no allocation this year for those on savings’ scheme, especially those from Jaiz Bank.
He, however, assured that he would go to Abuja immediately to see what could be done to secure allocation for the affected number of intending pilgrims.
