Abuja - A member of the House of Representatives, Bashir Adamu (PDP-Jigawa) has raised alarm on the late preparation towards the 2008 Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

Adamu made this known in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

He noted that few months to the commencement of the exercise, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) was yet to engage airlines to airlift intending pilgrims.

The late engagement of the airlines, he said, would make them to acquire substandard aircraft as many countries have already booked the required types of planes.

He said NAHCON has refused to learn lessons from the chaos that almost marred last year’s exercise.
“With what happened last year, one will think that the commission should have concluded all arrangements by now”, he said.

Adamu also said that the recent increase in fares of both Muslims and Christians pilgrimage was unjustifiable.

He said that the Federal Government was supposed to subsidize the pilgrimage since the nation also gained spiritually from the exercise.

“This is one of the few means through which the ordinary person can benefit from the nation’s wealth.

“It is not only the pilgrims that benefit from the exercise but also the country and its leaders through prayers offered by the pilgrims”, he said.