The Niger state Pilgrim Welfare Board has refunded N1.229 500.00 hajj fares to 834 intending pilgrims who could not perform the 2020 Umar holy pilgrimage due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The executive secretary of the board, Alhaji Umaru Maku Lapai, stated this Monday while receiving in audience the Niger state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Minna.
He said, ” The board also has 1, 968 intending pilgrims who decided to roll over their payments till next hajj operations instead of getting refund of their money.”
He added that only those pilgrims in the rollover list would be given priority to perform hajj from the state in the next hajj operation.
He stated that Mariga local government area of the state topped the list of refund with 122 intending pilgrims collecting back total amount of N181.5m followed by Kontagora local government from where 99 people got a refund of N147.5m among others.
He assured of building more robust relationship with the NUJ in the state adding that the board will soon include media corps in its hajj operation just as it has done with medical team.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Niger state council, Comrade Abu Nmodu, expressed satisfaction with the board in handling hajj operations in the state.
