By Yusuf Adua
Despite the Oyo state government asserting that it had cleared her pilgrims’ allowances, the first batch of travellers has only received USD200 out of the agreed 800USD.
The Oyo State Pilgrims Welfare Board (Muslim Wing) on Thursday disclosed that all the travellers for the spiritual tourism have been taken care of, this reporter understands upon investigation that the declaration is far from the truth.
According to a source in the board who communicated to News Live Nigeria, the first batch of the pilgrims left before schedule.
Consequently, funds were not available at the time of their departure to foot their Basic Travel Allowances.
“The pilgrims were provided with two options by the organisers. Either to wait for the board or proceed with their trip.
They chose the second option which also had the caveat that their Basic Travel Allowances will only be given when the board members arrive Hajj”, the source furthered.
According to the in-house source, the product of their unyielding stance was the video that circulated on social media recently where they lamented that they had not been paid.
“200 USD was sent to all of them as succor for them to hold on to and they’ll all get the second chunk of the stipend when the board members reached Hajj”, he added.
Meanwhile, this disclosure contradicts the earlier statement of the Chairman, Oyo State Pilgrims Welfare Board (Muslim Wing), Professor Sayed Malik, who told journalists that the claim that the pilgrims were yet to receive their allowances was groundless.
The chairman remained resolute that the claim was not the true situation of things at the state’s Hajj camps in Saudi Arabia.
The true scheme of things in Saudi Arabia also counts against the Oyo state government.
In a video received by News Live Nigeria, Abdullahi Olakanmi Akorede said in his white religious garment with some other pilgrims that he was coerced into testifying that the Oyo state government and pilgrim board had redeemed their pledge to pay them once they get to Saudi Arabia.
He said none of them had received any money from the state government aside from the 200 USD that was given to them when they made their first accusation upon their arrival for the sacred obligation.
“Contrary to the people’s belief that the Oyo State Government has given us all our entitlements, we were only given 200 USD.
As we proceed to Medinah to further religious obligation, we have only got just 200 USD and nothing more”, Mr Akorede reiterated.
“I apologise for initially misleading the public with my earlier statement. I was compelled to say what I said”, the pilgrim confessed in Saudi Arabia.
He also pleaded with his fellow pilgrims from Oyo state for misrepresenting them adding that their welfare is far from being taken care of as opposed to the picture painted to the public.
“Dr Ibrahim Adelani also came here (Mecca) and complained about the malnutrition of the meal provided for us by the Hajj authorities.
Not only is 600 USD yet to be given to us but also proper feeding is far from being provided as the state government promised”, the Pilgrim gamely said amid other Oyo state Hajj pilgrims.
Another independent anonymous source who spoke with News Live Nigeria confirmed that the 200 USD token received was sent to them by the board. But they might have received the second tranche of the BTA if they had waited for the authorities.
“They couldn’t wait for the executive to arrive. That is where everything went south”, the source said.
Another source in Madinah who followed a private company to Hajj told this reporter that Oyo state pilgrims are complaining bitterly because the largest chunk of their entitlement is yet to be paid.
This reporter understands that 75% of the pilgrims’ basic entitlement is yet to be paid.
According to a statement released by Fatima Sanda Usara, the chairman of the National Hajj Commission, Zikirullah Kunle Hassan, had stated that each pilgrim from the southern part of the country would pay almost 2.5 million naira (N2,496,815.29).
This means that having paid more than 2.4 million naira, Oyo state government told the public that they had paid their dues to the pilgrims when they actually have not.
They had only paid 200 USD out of 800 USD.
THE BONE OF CONTENTION
Even though the delay in the pilgrims’ Basic Travel Allowance is structural, the Oyo state government and other concerned stakeholders should not have made the public and the pilgrims believe that they had been paid.
According to a public commentator, Ibrahim Adejare who wrote on Facebook, the first Hajj operations to be fully coordinated by the Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration is marred by unsolicited crisis and daunting snarls.
“As a ‘Pacesetter’ State, the Oyo State pilgrims in Makkah were short-paid. Pilgrims paid 800 dollars as BTA in Nigeria.
Their balance of 600 dollars is still doing press-up in Hajj Camp in Ibadan”, Mr Adejare wondered.
To shed light on this imbroglio, this reporter contacted the media office of the board which explained that only the Public Relations Officer was allowed to speak on the matter.
Efforts to reach the Public Relations Officer have remained futile till the time of compiling this report as he never answered his phone calls.