Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency has promised to refund $50 to its pilgrims, following downward price review from the company engaged to slaughter animals on behalf of the government.
Speaking to newsmen, chairman of the Hadaya Committee, Air Vice Marshall Muhammad Dabo (rtd) disclosed that the pilgrims will either be paid in Saudi Arabia or Nigeria, depending on their preferences.
Dabo said 1,357 pilgrims paid through the state pilgrims agency, but only 700 pilgrims who paid in Nigeria are eligible for the refund.
Slaughtering of rams or Hadaya is an important component of Hajj rites, as pilgrims are expected to slaughter rams individually or contribute to buy a camel for slaughter.
The committee chairman recalled that Hadaya is one of the most complicated aspects of Hajj where pilgrims are often shortchanged, which is why the committee took time to negotiate with the companies.
He said the first company they met with was owned by a Sudanese retired General Muhammad, who insisted that they pay 500 Riyals per ram, which translates to about N200,000 or $150.
‘’We argued that given the shortfall of the basic travelling allowance that pilgrims were given $400 because of exchange rate that CBN applied, we pleaded that he should review it to 300 Riyals per ram to allow pilgrims take care of other things.
‘’In the end, we got an Islamic Development Bank-accredited company agreed to collect 375 Riyals per animal. We were at the slaughter house to physically inspect the animals and saw them being slaughtered,’’ he said.
AVM Dabo added that with the review, pilgrims that paid for their Hadaya through the Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency will get a refund of about $50 each.
He, however, lamented the activities of some staff of the agency who collude with Africans in Saudi Arabia, promising them a better price of Hadaya, but ‘’most of them ended up being cheated.’
He advised that the National Hajj Commission, NAHCON, to include the cost of Hadaya in the total Hajj package to protect pilgrims from these unscrupulous elements.
