Daily Independent (Lagos)
Otei Oham And Festus Owete
4 November 2008
Abuja — Speaker of the House of Representatives and Amirul-Hajj for this year, Dimeji Bankole, on Monday summoned operators of airlines accredited to lift Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia to appear before him today.
They are to explain their readiness for the national assignment billed to begin on Thursday.
Four airlines have been certified to airlift the about 95,000 pilgrims participating in the Hajj.
The airlines are Kabo, Medi-View, Mendien and Air Niamey. Three others are to serve as backups. According to Chairman, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NHCN), Mohammed Musa Bello, the three operators include Emirates, Tours and Tsarma.
Bankole's summon was sequel to failure of the accredited airlines to turn up for the Monday's meeting, just as the commission is pushing for sanctioning of states that flout the Hajj regulations.
Bello also sought punishment for intending pilgrims that fail to abide by the provisions of the exercise.
At a meeting with NHCN and its members in the House wing of the National Assembly, Bankole said the meeting with management of the invited airlines would reassure participants in the Hajj exercise.
Bankole expressed disappointment that only the backup airlines turned up at the meeting convened to assess their preparedness and possible challenges ahead of the exercise.
"This is not a good start; the two companies that are well represented here by their chief executives are the backup companies. The ones that have been awarded the contract to airlift people are not represented here and if they are, they were represented in a very shabby manner.
"This is not good and if they are not ready to meet with us to start off properly, why should we trust that they will lift our people properly.
"There will be a meeting tomorrow morning, at 8 o'clock (today), November 4, 2008 right here", he ordered.
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