Onwuka Nzeshi
4 November 2008
Abuja — A total of 95,000 Muslim pilgrims drawn from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, will take part in this year's holy pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
However, due to concerns for safety of individual pilgrims and the stress associated with the religious rites in the Holy Land, pregnant women have been barred from the exercise.
Chairman, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, Alhaji Mohammad Musa Bello, disclosed this yesterday when he led other members of the commission to the National Assembly to brief the Speaker, House of Representatives, Honourable Dimeji Bankole, who a few day ago, was named the Amiri-Hajj for the 2008 pilgrimage, on preparations being made to ensure hitch-free Hajj.
According to Bello, four air lines, namely Kabo Air Limited, Med-View Airline, Meridian Air Limited and Air Niamey / IRS Air Limited, have been contracted to airlift pilgrims to the Holy Land beginning from November 6, 2008.
In order to avoid disappointment, three airlines - Emirate Tours and Tsarma Air and ome others, are on standby, to ensure that the airlift does not run into unnecessary hitches. In the event or breach however, the airliner would be surcharged $25,000 per day.
To forestall the usual situation where states push pilgrims to the Hajj Camp without due consideration to the airlift timetable, Bello said the Commission was considering to sanction such states, adding that the ideal thing was for pilgrims to remain in their respective states until their turn to be airlifted.
Director Foreign Operations, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mohammed Nda, who was at the briefing, said adequate arrangements had been made to disburse foreign exchange to states according to their number of pilgrims, adding that the CBN was collaborating with Saudi Arabian banks to ensure that Nigerian pilgrims receive the best of services.
According to him, proper arrangements have been made for each pilgrims to receive Basic Traveling Allowance (BTA) ranging from a minimum of $750 to a maximum of $1,500.
Bankole expressed delight at the arrangements and said everything must be done to ensure that the pitfalls and embarassments usually asociated with the exercise in the past were eliminated.
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