Kaduna State Muslim Pilgrim Welfare Board has announced N1,549,297.09 as fare for the 2019 hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
The board said National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has approved the said amount as the Hajj fare for Kaduna State intending pilgrims for this year’s hajj in Saudi Arabia.
The Overseer of the Board, Imam Hussaini Sulaiman Tsoho Ikara in a media briefing explained that the Hajj fare was arrived after computation of all hajj components, including accommodation in Makkah and Madinah.
A statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Board, Yunusa Muhammad Abdullahi, explained that all pilgrims are to receive 800 US dollars as Basic Travelling Allowance.
Meanwhile, no provision was made for minimum and or maximum BTA as practised in the past, the statement said.
The statement further explained that old pilgrims who had performed the hajj in the last 4 years are to pay additional charges of 2,000 Saudi riyals, equivalent of over N162,000.00.
“Already prospective pilgrims from the state have made deposits of between N800,000 and N1.5m with the Board.
“All the intending pilgrims are expected to obtain customized bank teller at their respective Local Government registration centres before making the payment.
“Imam Tsoho Ikara has urged the intending pilgrims to hasten payment as the process of acquiring visa has commenced and the need to pay the balance of the fare to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on schedule.” It said.
The statement warned that defaulters risk forfeiting their chance to make the trip as NAHCON has also fixed deadline for remittance of the fare.