1 week ago
19
From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State Government will spend N284,684,400 for airfare on 33 pilgrims in this year’s Hajj pilgrimage.
The amount does not include other allowances, charges and levies for the pilgrims.
There have been social media posts by some indigenes of the state that the government was spending N500 million on the Hajj pilgrims.
But, the government described the N500 million as erroneous. It noted that it was spending N284, 684,400 as airfare for 33 Hajj pilgrims.
The Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Jude Okpor, in a statement, noted that government would sponsor 20 pilgrims while local governments would sponsor 13 for this year’s Hajj pilgrimage.
Okpor said airfare for each of the 33 pilgrims would cost N8,626,800 to and fro and wondered why the criticisms on the decision of the state government to sponsor Hajj pilgrims.
“Ebonyi State, as we know, is a secular state and hosts a diversity of population, each with different religious inclinations. The state takes into consideration these diversities in relation to its funding of their religious pilgrimage, Christians and Muslims alike. However, there was an obvious error in the computation of the total government expenditure in the sponsorship of the 2025 Hajj as contained in our earlier release.
“The Hajj fare for the Southern Zone as announced by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) stands at N8,626,800, to and fro.
“This is different from other allowances, charges and levies. This cost of airfare is occasioned by the prevailing foreign exchange rate. However, put together, the total sum is far below the figure erroneously reported earlier.
“We wish to state that Ebonyi State is reputed for its hospitality and ever-accommodating spirit. This is not the time to allow sentiment to override our true nature. We are not known for religious intolerance. Worthy of mention is the fact that these candidates are mostly our fellow Ebonyians.
“We urge everyone to support the socio-political, economic and religious inclusivity of His Excellency’s administration. Under FON, Ebonyi is one united family, irrespective of religious backgrounds,” he said
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