Against the backdrop of possible hiccups in this year’s Hajj Operation, a Non-Governmental Organization, The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria, has called on the Federal Government to immediately consider approving concessional rates of dollars to Naira for Hajj to save the Hajj Operation in Nigeria this year to running into a failure.
The Nattional Hajj Commission (NAHCON), had announced last Sunday, additional payment of N1.9 million by intending pilgrims who had earlier paid N4.9 million for this year’s Hajj; due to atronomical increase in the rate of dollars to Naira in the last five months.
Rising from an Extra-Ordinary Meeting of Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria in Abuja, the group maintained that without granting concessional rate for dollars to Naira, it would be difficult for over 50,000 Nigerian Pilgrims who have paid so far, to participate in the important religious duty of Hajj which it described as one of the strong pillars of Islam.
In a press statement released after the meeting in Abuja today and signed by its National Coordinator – Mal. Ibrahim Abdullahi, the group maintained that granting concessional rates for Hajj annually, has been an annual ritual by the Federal Governments of the past in Nigeria – calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene to safe this situation which according to him, has reached a critical stage.
The group reminded the Federal Government that though Hajj is a religious duty, its positive impact on the lives of the people and people in governance is very significant, adding that Nigeria needs spiritual intervention to move out of the present socio-economic situation as well as insecurity pervading the Country.
The group maintained that granting that concession could pave way for the success of Tinubu as beneficiaries would pray hard from the President and his noble Administration in the holy lands of Makkah and Madinah.
The Media group while commending the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) for its untiring efforts over this matter, appealed to registered pilgrims to be calm, adding that in the spirit of the holy month of Ramadan, they should remain prayerful to Allah for the matter to get sorted-out without any inhibition whatsoever to all those that have paid the initial amount approved by NAHCON for Hajj this year.
The group finally concluded its press statement by stating that Nigeria as the most populated Country in Africa with over 70% Muslim population, needed to utilise fully its 95,000 pilgrims quota given by Saudi-Arabia for this year’s pilgrimage.
