Senate panel queries handling of Christian pilgrimage
From Alifa Daniel, Abuja
THE Senate has asked the ministry of Foreign Affairs to explain why a foreign airline was selected to conduct this year's Christian Pilgrimage to the detriment of indigenous registered airline operators.
In a letter to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Tanko, the Chairman of the Senate Sub-committee on Christian Pilgrimage, Senator Effiong Bob, also sought to know the total number of pilgrims registered for this year's pilgrimage on a state by state basis.
Other information the Senate sought from the Minister were:
* Number of officials serving in this year's pilgrimage
* Copies of signed agreement with the air carrier(s).
* Total amount of money received for on-shore and off-shore expenditure during the exercise and the detailed breakdown of the proposed expenditure.
* Provision of copies of the airworthiness certificate for airlines, handling agreement and insurance certificate.
Bob recalled that when the Senate sub-committee met the ministry's officials, the officials disclosed that the Air carriers, Kabo and TAT were appointed. It was also revealed that $1.1 million was released for off shore and N140 million for on-shore operations for 8,000 pilgrims.
The minister was given until yesterday (Thursday) to furnish the Senate with the information it sought in addition to the detailed breakdown of the year 2004 overhead expenditure for the Directorate of Pilgrims Affairs (Christian), among others.
It would be recalled that the Senate mandated its Committee on Foreign Affairs to investigate the conduct of this year's Christian pilgrimage in addition to other issues the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs Sub-committee on Christian pilgrimage discussed with the Minister of State last August.
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