By Seyi Odewale
Again, Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano state has released N376m to supplement the Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) shortfall for state-intending pilgrims.
The Governor has also announced the appointment of the Deputy Governor, Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam as head of the government delegation and Amir Hajj for the 2024 pilgrimage.
Yusuf’s intervention was contained in a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature.
According to the release, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) had announced a BTA of $500 per pilgrim, based on the official exchange rate of N1,250 to a dollar.
However, the volatility of the foreign exchange rate further weakened the Nigerian currency thereby pushing the exchange rate to over N1,500 to the dollar.
Yusuf, who spoke during the annual hajj demonstration exercise late Monday, highlighted that the initial BTA rate would have left each pilgrim short by $121,000.
The Governor said to rectify the inconsistency, the state government has approved supplementary funds to argue the 3,100 state pilgrims with N121,000 each totalling N376,310,000.
He said the additional support was to enable the pilgrims to comfort and smooth the performance of the Hajj rites.
He assured that the Deputy Governor would oversee the welfare of the pilgrims comprehensively, including provisions for food, lodging, transportation, healthcare, and other necessities.
Recall that Governor Yusuf had released N500 million in April, to subsidize the sudden notice of a hajj fare increase of N1.9m by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
Acknowledging the vital role of security agencies and NAHCON in Kano’s Hajj operations, Governor Yusuf expressed his gratitude for their assistance.
