Mohammed Ali Ndume, the Chief Whip of the Senate, is urging both federal and state governments to provide subsidies for first-time Hajj participants planning to travel to the Holy Land.
Representing the Borno South Senatorial District, Ndume expressed his concerns regarding the recent increase in Hajj fees by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), condemning it as unjust and a deliberate attempt to hinder Nigerian Muslims, particularly first-timers, from joining the pilgrimage.
In a statement released in Abuja on Wednesday, the lawmaker criticized NAHCON for demanding an additional N2 million from intending pilgrims who had already paid the previous fees until the registration deadline.
He emphasized that Muslims undertake the holy pilgrimage to Mecca as part of the five pillars of Islam: Shahada, Salah, Zakat, Sawm, and Hajj.
NAHCON’s spokesperson, Fatima Sanda-Usara, disclosed in a statement on Sunday that the fee adjustment was necessitated by the current exchange rate of N1,474.00 per dollar.
Previously, approximately 49,000 pilgrims in the public quota had paid N4.9 million to the commission when the exchange rate was N897 per dollar; they are now required to pay an extra N1.9 million before 28 March, with new registrations set at N8.5 million.
Ndume appealed to President Bola Tinubu to authorize a subsidy on Hajj fares to facilitate the journey for first-time participants to the Holy Land.