The newly inaugurated Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf has dismissed the Centre officers in charge of Hajj affairs in the 44 local government areas in the state.
This platform understands that the Governor immediately appointed new officers who will be in charge of the ongoing operations of intending pilgrims for the 2023 Hajj across the state for the interim.
Abba in a press release signed by Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, on Sunday, June 4 instructed the new local Hajj officers to assume their duties.
Part of the release also ordered the interim officers to report to the new Director General of the State Pilgrims Welfare Board on Sunday 4th June, for further directive at the Board’s Headquarters.
Recall that Governor Yusuf had recently replaced Amb. Mohammad Danbatta, the former executive secretary of the board with Alhaji Laminu Rabiu as the new Director General of the State Pilgrims Welfare Board.
The state government announced the dismissal of the 44 Hajj Centre officers few hours before the commencement of the airlift of the state pilgrims which is scheduled to kick off today, Sunday, 4th June.
Not less than 700 intending pilgrims from the state could not observe the 2022 Hajj after a misunderstanding broke out over the choice of a carrier to airlift pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from the state.
It would be recalled that HAJJ REPORTERS had earlier charged the newly-inaugurated state governors to retain officials of the pilgrims’ welfare boards in their respective states as in order to have seamless 2023 Hajj operations
The Governor, who is an ally of the presidential candidate of the New Nigerian People’s Party, NNPP, in the last general elections has been at the centre of public discourse since he allegedly ordered the demolition of structures sited on government properties in the state.
Abba, in company of the state Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Gumel led the removal of the buildings on Saturday.
