The Chairman of Katsina State chapter of the Jama’atu Izalatil Bidi’a Wa’ikamatul Sunna (JIBWIS), Sheikh Yakubu Musa-Hassan, has urged the Federal Government to subsidise the 2024 Hajj in view of sudden increase of the fares.
Musa-Hassan made the appeal on Monday during a Ramadan Tafsir at Kandahar Juma’at Mosque, Katsina.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), on Sunday announced an increase of N1.9 million for the hajj fare, and gave four days duration for the payment.
The commission had earlier approved N4.9 million as the 2024 hajj fare.
The sudden increase has jacked the fare to over N8 million to be paid by each intending pilgrim.
According to Musa-Hassan, the development is not only disturbing, but also an indication that many Muslims would be denied the opportunity to go for the hajj.
“Politically this increase in hajj fare is a problem to the government, and religiously it’s also a problem for us.
“It has become a must for us to call on the government to do the needful, we are calling on the government to subsidise the fare for the intending pilgrims,” he added.
He said that hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, as such the government and members of the National Assembly should do the needful to address this concern.
Musa-Hassan also urged wealthy Muslims to support those who had paid the initial deposit to complete their fares.
