The Senate yesterday resolved to constitute an ad hoc committee to investigate the circumstances of the exorbitant airfare for the Hajj pilgrimage as fixed by National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) with a view to exposing any sharp practices.
The committee would be expected to report its finding in a week.
The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Senator Ibrahim Danbaba (Sokoto South) who lamented that intending pilgrims are being charged N1.55 million each by NAHCON, where private operators charge N1.2 million per pilgrim.
He added that the commission is extorting the pilgrims by making them pay unnecessary charges.
According to him, “We are aware also that NAHCON negotiates and provides accommodation for all pilgrims at Madina, Minna and Arafat on behalf of all states. It also takes responsibility for feeding arrangements at Madina, Minna and Arafat. The cost of feeding the pilgrims which is inbuilt in the fare packages constitutes a burden on the pilgrims since his or her right of feeding is circumscribed.
“Apart from the imposition of meals which are not standard and served at the right time, the peculiarities of the feeding behaviour of pilgrims are not taken into account. Consideration is not given to pilgrims with specific ailments like Diabetics. It is also expensive. There are also allegations that this centralised system of feeding was introduced in order to favour certain foreign food contractors over their Nigerian counter-parts resident in Saudi Arabia and for self-gain by the Nigerian officials.”
