Lalong Set To Probe Muslim’s Pilgrim’s Board

Yakubu Busari

The Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong has set up committee to probe irregularities and how the state Muslim pilgrim’s welfare board was managed in the year 2014.

The committee which was set up at the central Mosque, held meeting with the chief Imam of Jos Sheikh Lawal Adam as well as leadership of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), expressed deep concerned over the state of affairs in the Board.

Chairman of the investigative committee Alhaji Yakubu Gumshar told the meeting that they are at the Mosque to solicit for the support, cooperation and advises on how best their work would be a success.

He said the governor has tasked them to investigate the circumstances that led to the deferment of  some intending pilgrims of 2014, to ascertain the number of persons affected and the total amount involved.

Gumshar further stated that they are also to investigate and, “verify whether the amount collected from the intending pilgrims was lodged in Government Board account and its current status,” and to; “identify persons or group of persons (official or private), responsible for the deferment.

“It was gathered that several hundreds of intending pilgrims have over the years been leftover without performing the pilgrimage, while others were been deferred by the board.

While contributing Barrister Lawal Ishaq, advised the committee to extend their findings beyond the 2014, hajj exercise, stressing that there were a lot of problems in the Board which predated the 2014, exercise.

Also speaking a former chairman of the Board Alhaji Yusuf Saromi, frowned at a situation where the JNI and Muslims leadership in the state are not consulted prior to the appointment of the board chairmen by the previous administration.

“Some of the problems in the board were as a result of neglecting consultation with the JNI, by the Government, on appointment of chairmen, but now that the governor is showing concerned it is hope that the situation would be rectify,” he said.

In his speech the Jos North chairman of JNI, Hon. Dahiru Salihu Malumbo, promised to accord all the necessary support for the committee to succeed, he thank Governor Lalong for his concerned over the matter.