Opposition arises from Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, the Chief Whip of the Senate, against the raised fares for prospective Muslim Pilgrims, a decision recently put forward by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
Expressing his view in Abuja on Wednesday, Ndume firmly stated his disapproval of the fare increment, labeling it as both unjust and intolerable.
He accused NAHCON of intentionally hiking the charges to obstruct Nigerian Muslims, particularly first-time participants, from partaking in the religious pilgrimage.
Citing the current exchange rate of N1,474.00 to a dollar as the reason behind the adjusted fees, NAHCON provided clarification for the increase.
As outlined in the NAHCON statement, approximately 49,000 aspiring pilgrims under the public quota had initially submitted N4.9 million each to the commission when the naira-to-dollar rate stood at N897, according to banks.
The same 49,000 pilgrims now face an extra payment of N1.9 million each before the imminent deadline of 28th March, while new registrants are required to remit N8.5 million each in accordance with the updated rate.
However, Ndume condemned the directive compelling pilgrims who had previously paid the lower fees to now fork out nearly N2 million, just a week away from the registration deadline.
He implored President Bola Tinubu to approve the surcharge payment as a subsidy, an initiative aimed at enabling first-time participants to fulfill their Hajj obligations by attending the pilgrimage this year.
In the same breath, he called upon State Governments to absorb the additional costs for potential pilgrims who cannot meet the revised rates established by NAHCON.
Denouncing NAHCON’s sudden fee escalation for aspiring pilgrims, Ndume asserted, “Such imposition is unjust. Those individuals had already made their payments in advance. If alterations are required, the responsibility should rest on NAHCON and not on the prospective pilgrims.”
He emphasized, “Urgent action is imperative. I urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to green-light the additional fee payment as per NAHCON’s instruction. This is essential to rectify the situation.”
“I also call on the originating States of the pilgrims to subsidize their costs, particularly those embarking on their maiden pilgrimage. Hajj represents one of the fundamental tenets of Islam, and it is unjust to deprive first-time participants of this spiritual journey, especially after they had already paid the initial fees dictated by NAHCON.”
“Requiring them to pay almost N2 million again is unreasonable. Many of these pilgrims diligently saved for years to afford this opportunity. It is unjust to alienate such individuals from participating.”
“I firmly believe that the just course of action is to provide subsidies and alleviate the additional financial burden from pilgrims, especially the newcomers deserving of experiencing this year’s Hajj. We must extend our support to them.”