The Bauchi State Government has announced a significant subsidy for intending pilgrims in response to the increase in the 2024 Hajj fare by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
State Governor, Sen Bala Muhammad, approved the augmentation of the fare by subsidizing 50% of the additional increment for all intending pilgrims from the state.
As a result, the Bauchi State Government will pay a subsidy of ₦959,000 for 1652 intending pilgrims from Bauchi State, totaling over ₦2.5 billion. This subsidy aims to provide relief to the intending pilgrims as they embark on the Hajj exercise.
The State Commissioner of Religion Affairs and Community Orientation, Yakubu Hamza, disclosed this development while briefing journalists at the Government House in Bauchi.
He explained that the benefiting intending pilgrims include those who have already paid the increment, those yet to commit to the development, and those awarded Hajj slots by the state government.
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Also speaking, State Commissioner of Information, Comrade Garba Danturaki said that the gesture was part of the efforts of the government to make life easy for her citizens irrespective of political differences.
In a remarks, the Executive Secretary of the State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Abdulrahman Ibrahim Idris explained that intending pilgrims who have registered and paid the initial total deposit of N4.7 million and N4.5 million with the State Pilgrims Board will now deposit ₦959k out of the N1.9 million increase.
Recalled that The National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) has increased the fare for the year 2024 pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia by N1,918,032.91
The Commission also set March 28, 2024 as deadline for intending pilgrims to make their payments. It attributed the increase in fare to the foreign exchange crisis rocking the country.
NAHCON had initially pegged the fare for this year’s pilgrimage at N4.9m, but the Commission is now asking those who have paid the initial amount to add a balance of N1.9 million raising the amount to N6.8 million.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE