Sokoto State Govt redeems N1.98m pledge to cleanest LGs during hajj

The Sokoto State Government on Sunday redeemed the N1.98 million it pledged to the three cleanest local governments during hajj.

The Director-General of the State Pilgrims Welfare Agency, Alhaji Ibrahim Umar, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria( NAN) in Sokoto on Sunday.

Umar said that the competition was introduced by the state government during the 2015 hajj.

”It was conceived to encourage personal and environmental hygiene amongst the pilgrims in Mecca,Muna and Arafat.”

Umar said that Kware Local Government came first with a prize money of 10,000 Saudi Riyals, about N900,000.

He said that Sabon-Birni Local Government took second and received 7,000 Saudi Riyals, about N630,000, while Silame Local Government came third and got 5,000 Saudi Riyals, about N450,000.

The Assistant Hajj Registration Officer of the defending champion, Kware Local Government, Alhaji Bello Yusha’u, commended the state government for initiating the yearly competition.

Yusha’u also hailed the director-general of the agency! Umar for,”his forthrightness in steering pilgrims’ affairs”. (NAN)