The House of Representatives on Tuesday mandated its ad hoc committee on Nigeria-Saudi Arabia Relations to investigate an alleged non-issuance of hand band to pilgrims during 2016 hajj.
The House resolved to investigate the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria on the matter following the unanimous adoption on a motion moved by Danburam Nuhu.
Leading a debate, Nuhu noted that pilgrims paid N25,000 for the hand band, which was introduced by the commission to facilitate easy identification and location of any pilgrim.
He expressed dismay that the bands were not distributed to many of the pilgrims.
According to him, the Hajj Commission generated over N1.6 billion from the sale of the hand band to over 65,000 pilgrims from Nigeria.
The lawmaker, therefore, urged the House to investigate the matter and compel the commission to refund the money back to pilgrims for the service not rendered.
Kicking against the motion, however, the Chairman Nigeria-Saudi Arabia Relations, Abdullahi Salame, said some of the concerns raised in the motion were going to be addressed in the report to be submitted by the committee.
Salame stated that the motion moved by Nuhu had some misinformation, stressing that the hand band was procured at $47 at an exchange rate of N197 by the commission.
Salame also stated that each state pilgrim welfare board was given the hand band for onward distribution to the pilgrims.
Ruling on the matter, Speaker House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, directed the committee to submit its report within two weeks for further legislative action.
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