Leadership (Abuja)
Chuks Ohuegbe
8 November 2007
Abuja — Lanyo Luggage and Traveling Bags Limited, an indigenous company that processes luggage boxes for Muslim pilgrims from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia yesterday refuted claims that there is a contract scam rocking the Hajj Commission.
The company also allayed fears that the 2007 Hajj would run to a hitch, noting that they had met over 70 per cent of the luggage procurement and distributed same to some states, adding that they would meet the deadline.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP yesterday in Abuja, the chairman of Lanyo Luggage and Traveling Bags Limited, Senator U. K. Umar explained thus: "They are talking about contract scam; there is no contract in the first place. What is happening is between us and our sponsor Al-Khalidiya International, a Saudi Arabian company. This company handles our assignments and we pay them based on a commission.
"We have done this job with them for five years and there is no problem. We have signed another agreement this year and they have even given us a letter for us to go ahead with the business."
Senator Umar said that the alleged contract scam was started by a Lebanese, whom he alleged defrauded Nigerian Hajj Commission in 2001 of the sum of N27 million.
"This Lebanese is now being sought by Nigerian government. He is now trying to use another Nigerian to destroy us, so that they can take over the retainership.
Asked whether his company was awarded a $4million contract by the Nigerian Hajj Commission, Senator Umar responded thus: "I am wondering whether the entire contract for this year's Hajj is up to $1 million, not to talk of $4 million contract".
In spite of the above, Senator Umar assured that this year's Hajj operations will be hitch-free. "We have already supplied the hand bags to more than 70 per cent of the pilgrims and delivered them to their respective state governments.
He said that so long as the company gets the assistance of the federal government and that of the Hajj Commission, there will be no problem whatsoever.
Lanyo Luggage and Traveling Bags Ltd had in a letter dated November 5, 2007, addressed to HRH Prince Bandar Bin Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia complained against a newly introduced staff of AL-KHALIDIYA EST., one Gassim AL-Goahgsh, a Lebanese national.
Lanyo letter which was signed by the company's managing director, Auwal S. Malami read in part: "This relationship had gone on amicably until lately when Gassim was introduced to Lanyo Company Ltd as liaison man in Al-Khalidiya.
"Consequently, Gassim opted to unilaterally change the contract, and was bidding for its enforcement. By this act, Gassim requested that 25 per cent of the value of the invoice for the purchase of the materials used in the assemblage be paid Al-Khalidiya for all the years of our relationship.
"Since the fact is that a change can only be brought to a contract after negotiation between the parties to it, a unilateral change of term of a contract is invalid and cannot be binding on Lanyo without its consent to it".
The company therefore urged Prince Abdul Aziz to use his good office to intervene in the matter.
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