Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed of Bauchi State has allocated a sum of over two billion, one hundred and ninety-six million, one hundred and ten thousand Naira to alleviate the financial burden on intending pilgrims from the state.
This, as noticed by our correspondent, was necessitated by the significant increase in Hajj fares by the National Hajj Commission.
Addressing journalists at the Government House, the Commissioner of Religious Affairs and Societal Reorientation, Yakubu Ibrahim Hamza, accompanied by Commissioners of Information and Communications, Finance, and the Executive Secretary of the Bauchi State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, announced the governor’s decision to release the funds.
The move, according to him, aims to ensure that individuals who had already paid the initial amount before the sudden fare hike do not miss out on the pilgrimage.
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The subsidy applies to all categories of intending pilgrims, including self-sponsored individuals, those participating through Hajj saving schemes, and government-sponsored pilgrims.
Commissioner of Information and Communications, Comrade Usman G. Danturaki, described the gesture as part of the governor’s special intervention to support intending pilgrims from Bauchi State, soliciting continued prayers and support from the public.
Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has agreed to cover fifty percent of the fare increment, amounting to over one billion Naira. Those who have already made payments will receive a refund of fifty percent of the increased amount.
The Commissioner of Religious Affairs and Societal Reorientation emphasized that this initiative underscores Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed’s commitment to easing the financial burden on intending pilgrims from Bauchi State.