By; ABBAS SHEHU, Bauchi
The Bauchi State Government has subsidized this year’s exorbitant Hajj fare to a number of 1,652 intending pilgrims of the state for the religious obligatory exercise in Saudi Arabia with each pilgrim enjoying a subsidy of N959,000
The amount, according to the state Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Yakubu Ibrahim Hamza, represents 50 per cent of the sum of N1, 918, 000 recent increment for this year’s Hajj fare on each pilgrim by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
Commissioner Yakubu Hamza at a press briefing in Bauchi recently gave the figure of N1, 584, 268, 000 as the total amount of 50 percent paid by the government on the 1,652 pilgrims who have already paid the full Hajj fare before the recent increament.
He said, “His Excellency, the Executive Governor characteristically came in to save what can be be done to alleviate the suffering of these people who are now running helter-skelter looking for the balance as a result of the increment”.
“His Excellency has now agreed to pay 50 per cent of the additional increment to each of the intending pilgrims, and 50 per cent of the addition is N959,000, and when you multiply by the 1,652 number of pilgrims that have already paid the fare, the total amount is N1,584,269, 000.
“Total number of pilgrims that have so far registered and paid the earlier approved rate by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria is 1, 652 persond, awaiting airlift to the pilgrimage”, he said.
According to the commissioner, those the government paid for their Hajj fares, those that are referred to as sponsored pilgrims through the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. will not pay for the increment, as government will also tally the increase.
Also speaking at the press briefing, the Executive Secretary of the Bauchi State Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board, Imam Abdulrahman Ibrahim Idris said that the total number of pilgrims in the state that have so far registered, stands at 2,290, out of the 3,334 seats allocated to the state for this year’s exercise.
Imam Abdulrahman Idris explained that based on the number of pilgrims of 2,290 registered, Bauchi is now the fourth in the federation with the highest number of pilgrims to this year’s pilgrimage, disclosing that the Hajj fare for 2024 is pegged at N8, 225, 000.
It was however, learnt that if you substract the number of 1,652 individuals intending pilgrims from the 2,290 so far registered, it will give a figure of 638 apparently said to be government sponsored pilgrims, including officials that comprises board staff, doctors, guide and preachers.
“It is therefore, understood that if you multiply the number of apparent sponsored pilgrims and officials of 638 by the fare fixed amount of N8, 225, 000, it will give the sum of N5, 247, 550, 000, and in addition to the sum of N1, 584, 268, 000 as 50% subsidy for 1, 652 will give a grand total of N6, 831, 818, 000 to be footed by the state government on Hajj pilgrimage this year,” he said.
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