Hajj fee hike: Senate Chief Whip, Ndume calls for subsidy for first-timers

The Chief Whip of the Senate, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has called on the federal and state governments to subsidise Hajj fees for first-timers intending to go to the Holy Land.

Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, stated this while reacting to the increase in Hajj fees by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, describing it as unfair and a deliberate plan to deny Nigerian Muslims, especially first-timers the opportunity to participate in the exercise.

Reacting in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, the lawmaker fumed, saying, NAHCON, cannot ask intending pilgrims who earlier paid the old fees to pay an extra N2 million a week to the end of registration.

Ndume said the five pillars of Islam, which are, Shahada, Salah, Zakat, Sawm, and Hajj, were reasons Muslims embark on the holy pilgrimage to Mecca.

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NAHCON’s spokesperson, Fatima Sanda-Usara in a statement signed on Sunday, announced the new rate adjustment, citing the current rate of N1,474.00 to a dollar.

According to the statement, about 49,000 intending pilgrims under the public quota, had earlier paid the sum of N4.9 million to the commission when the naira was still at N897 to a dollar at the banks.

About 49,000 pilgrims who had earlier paid the old fees of N4.9 million each to the commission have been told to pay an additional N1.9 million each on or before 28 March, while new registration has been fixed at N8.5 million.

Ndume called on President Bola Tinubu to approve a subsidy for the Hajj fares to enable first-timers to embark on a trip to the Holy Land.