Abuja, March 27, 2024 – Sen. Ali Ndume, the Senate Chief Whip, on Wednesday said the increase in the fares of the intending pilgrims for 2024 Hajj is a deliberate plan to deny Nigerian Muslims, especially first timers, the opportunity to participate in the exercise.
The National Hajj Commission has asked the intending pilgrims to payt addition al N1.9 million to enable them make the hajj attributing it t foreign exchange depreciation and other factors.
In a statement in Abuja, Ndume said that requesting the intending pilgrims to pay additional N1.9 million was unfair.
He said pilgrims, who had earlier paid the old fees, could not be compelled to cough out almost N2 million barely one week to the end of the registration.
Ndume called on Tinubu to approve the payment of the extra cost as subsidy to enable first timers attend this year’s Hajj to the holy land.
The lawmaker also called on the respective state governments to foot the additional cost for intending pilgrims who cannot pay the new fee set by NAHCON.
He said denying Muslims of their religious rights, especially first timers, is unfair and does not tell well of the country at a time Nigerians struggled to raise the initial payment.
“The sudden hike in the fees intending pilgrims are expected to pay by NAHCON is unfair. You cannot impose such on them. They had already paid ahead of time. If there is any changes, the burden should be on NAHCON and not on the intended pilgrims.
“Something urgent needs to be done about this. I call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to approve the payment of the extra fee as directed by NAHCON. This is the right thing to do in order to save the situation.
“I am also calling on States pilgrims coming from to subsidise the fees of pilgrims, especially first timers. Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and it is unfair to deny first timers the right to perform this spiritual exercise, especially after they have already paid the old fee set by NAHCON.
“I do not think it is fair to ask them to pay almost N2 million again. Many of the pilgrims saved up the money for many years to enable them to participate in Hajj. You cannot deny such people the right to participate,” Ndume said. (GBN)
