Gov Jibrilla Releases N33m BTA To 2016 Pilgrims, As Muslims Board Begin Hajj Operation
Adamawa State Government has approved the release of N33 million
for the payment of the second batch of 2016 Christian Pilgrims to the Holy
Land.
Mr.
Joshua Atiku, Executive Secretary of the Adamawa State Christian Pilgrims
Welfare Board (CPWB), disclosed this while speaking to newsmen shortly after
addressing the 2016 second batch who have not collected their Pilgrims Basic
Travelling Allowance (BTA).
Atiku at
the Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, over the weekend maintained that the
board would ensure that the affected pilgrims collect their BTA
as soon
as possible to alleviate their hardship.
He called
on the pilgrims to bring along relevant documents such as international
passports, boarding pass, among others as proof that they undertook the trip,
adding that no payment would be made by proxy.
Speaking
on the efforts of the Governor, Atiku applauded the gesture of Governor
Muhammadu Jibrilla for giving a hearing ear to the people irrespectively of
political or religious obligations to ensure that the Christian community in
Adamawa gets the best despite constraints.
He
further disclosed that Governor Muhammadu Jibrilla has promised the board that
other remaining pilgrims who could not make the Holy Land last year would be
given priority this year or next year and thanked the second batch for
exercising patience despite the delay in the payment.
Also
speaking, Rev. Amos Yakubu, the chairman of the board who is also the Bishop of
LCCN, Yola Diocese, appreciated them for their patience and called on them to
always portray and protect the image of Christian faith in the state.
In a
similar development, the Adamawa State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board (MPWB) has
commenced the collection of the 2018 Hajj fare, which was fixed at N1.5
million.
Engineer
Umar Bobboi, Executive secretary of the Board, while speaking to newsmen in his
office disclosed that the measure was aimed at ensuring that the exercise is
devoid of any hitch and to enable all intending pilgrims to pay their Hajj fare
in installments, rather than paying it at once.
Engr.
Umar Bobboi noted that after the meeting with its schedule officers across the
21 local government areas, it was agreed that all the council areas must be
allocated Hajj seats.
He warned
all the schedule officers in the local government councils not to collect any
cash payment from intending pilgrims except Bank draft from designated banks,
as the Board would not hesitate to take decisive action on any official caught
to be collecting cash from any intending pilgrim.
Bobboi
who spoke on the new increase of the Hajj fare attributed it to the high rate
of exchange of Naira to Dollar but assured that the board would not rest on
their oars to ensure that success is recorded in the 2018 Hajj exercise.
He said
that Adamawa State had been allocated 2,601 seats for the year 2018 Hajj
exercise, stressing that Hajj rudiments, rules and regulations from both
Nigeria and that of the Saudi authorities must be adhered to.
He
charged all intending pilgrims to as a matter of necessity to attend the
education centres established by the board where all of them would be taught
the rudiments of Nigeria and Saudi rules and regulations with the view for them
to avoid falling into temptations.
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