By Rita Michael, Bauchi
The Bauchi State Governor, Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar, has approved this year’s hajj fares for intending pilgrims from the state.
Addressing newsmen in his office at the weekend, the Executive Secretary of the state Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Abdullahi Magaji Hardawa, however said that the federal government had earlier excluded five items in the package it announced as hajj fares.
Alhaji Abdullahi Hardawa said that the minimum hajj fare for this year’s hajj is one million, twenty eight thousand, sixty eight Naira and ninety two kobo with seven hundred and fifty dollar basic travelling allowance, while the medium hajj seat fare is one million, seventy seven thousand, three hundred and eighteen Naira ninety two kobo with the basic travelling allowance of one thousand dollars and the sum of one million, one hundred and seventy five thousand, eight hundred and eighteen Naira ninety two kobo is the cost of maximum hajj seat with 1,500 basic travelling allowance.
The executive secretary said that those wishing to pay for the minimum fare will pay an addition of one hundred and seventy eight thousand, sixty eight Naira ninety two kobo and those wishing to pay for the medium seat will add the sum of two hundred and twenty seven thousand three hundred and eighteen Naira ninety two kobo while intending pilgrims wishing to go through the maximum seat will be required to add three hundred and twenty five thousand eight hundred and eighteen Naira ninety two kobo.
He said that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has directed states pilgrims boards to complete the capturing of data for all intending pilgrims before the end of the present Ramadan period to ensure quick data processing for the pilgrims.
Abdullahi Hardawa said any failure by those who deposited their money with the board to come forward and complete the payment of the hajj fares will delay the processing of their visas.
He commended the federal government for approving concessionary exchange rate for all religious activities, saying that the measure had assisted in having reasonable hajj fares for this year’s hajj.
He thereby called on intending pilgrims to complete the payment, stressing that the board will consider first come first serve method in the processing of pilgrims visas.