Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, the Chief Whip of the Senate, has voiced strong opposition to what he perceives as the unjustifiable rise in the 2024 Hajj fare set by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON). He decried the move, labeling it as unfair and a deliberate attempt to deprive Nigerian Muslims, particularly first-time participants, of the opportunity to partake in the pilgrimage.
NAHCON recently announced the adjustment in the Hajj fare, citing the prevailing exchange rate of N1,474.00 to a dollar as the driving factor behind the decision. This adjustment requires about 49,000 intending pilgrims who had previously paid N4.9 million each to the commission to now pay an additional N1.9 million each by March 28th. Furthermore, new registrations have been set at N8.5 million.
In a statement released in Abuja, Senator Ndume expressed concern over the burden placed on pilgrims who had already paid the initial fee and are now required to come up with almost N2 million extra on short notice. He emphasized the significance of the Hajj pilgrimage in Islam, highlighting it as one of the five pillars of the faith.
Senator Ndume appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider subsidizing the extra cost to enable first-time pilgrims to fulfill their religious obligation. Additionally, he called on state governments to intervene and cover the additional expenses for intending pilgrims who are unable to afford the new fee set by NAHCON.
He emphasized that depriving Muslims, especially first-time participants, of their religious rights is unjust and reflects poorly on the country, particularly at a time when many Nigerians struggled to raise the initial payment.
Ndume noted that “the sudden hike in the fees intending pilgrims are expected to pay by NAHCON is unfair. You cannot impose such on them. They had already paid far ahead of time. If there is any changes, the burden should be on NAHCON and not on the intending pilgrims.
“Something urgent needs to be done about this. I call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to approve the payment of the extra fee as directed by NAHCON. This is the right thing to do in order to save the situation.
“I am also calling on states to subsidise the fees of pilgrims, especially first timers. Hajj is one of the give pillars of Islam and it is unfair to deny first timers the right to perform this spiritual exercise, especially after they have already paid the old fee set by NAHCON.
