The former Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Alhaji Mohammed Oyinlomo Danmole, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene on the high cost of this year’s hajj.
Danmole said the fare for hajj has gone beyond the reach of intending pilgrims due exchange rate.
According to him, Mr President’s intervention would assist the intending pilgrims to observe the fifth pillar of Islam.
He stated that the President should intervene on the issue of four days deadline given to operators by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) by extending it to one more week.
He said in a statement: “As a result of different regimes of rates of exchange given the tour operators and the state pilgrims board, it has become difficult for private tour operators to keep their clients.
“The private operators, who had earlier collected a deposit of N5 million for the hajj exercise while state pilgrims took a deposit of N4.5 million, got a letter from NAHCON on Monday that a total amount of N5,013,473.33 is to be paid for services to rendered by Saudi authorities and Accommodation in Makkah and Madinah. The rate of exchange used in coming to the above cost was based on the rate of N1,625.35 to $1. Suffice to say that the rate of exchange from Monday till today is between 1,400 and 1,450. “There is no transparency in the rate used for state pilgrims which rumour had it that it is at the rate of 850 to a $1. That unexpected high rate of exchange the NAHCON based their calculations on will affect the private operators negative and capable of disrupting the Holy pilgrimage and sending them out of business.
“Your excellency sir, I am sure that you will intervene and put succour and smile in the face of the private operators. Mr President should kindly look into the high level of disparity in the exchange rate regime between the state sponsored pilgrims and those of the private tour operators.”
Source:The nation
