Niger govt bans sponsorship of pilgrims to Mecca

By Wole Mosadomi

Minna—Niger State Government, yesterday, placed embargo on the sponsorship of pilgrims to Mecca, even as it advised intending pilgrims against stealing or borrowing money for the exercise.

Similarly, the government directed the state pilgrim Board to allocate 90 per cent of the available seats for freshers.

Speaking at the flag off of sale of grains to members of the public in Minna ahead of the Ramadan fasting governor Babangida Aliyu, said the step became necessary because of the number of seats allocated to the state for this year hajj.

He insisted that holy pilgrimage to Mecca should not be seen as a jamboree but as a religious obligation, saying “Already the Customs and Immigrations have been directed to screen the passports of all intending pilgrimage to screen out those who have performed the journey in the past and allow the first timers to go and where necessary introduce balloting for all intending pilgrim to give room for fairness and equity.”

He warned local government chairmen in the state not to bribe traditional rulers and politicians with hajj seat at the detriment of freshers, who had no god fathers to lobby for them.

On the sale of the grains to the public, the governor said it was a deliberate attempt to make it coincide with the Ramadan season to allow the poor purchase food items at a cheaper rate, nothing that it had been observed that prices of food stuff usually  went up during festivities.

To this end, he said 10,000 tonnes of assorted grains had been purchased at over N25million  and would be sold to the less privileged at subsidised rates.

According to him, 25kg of rice would be sold for  N3,500  as against N5,000, 100kg of maize would be sold for N5,600, 100kg of beans would be sold for N14,000, 100kg of millet for N7,000, while Guinea corn would cost N6,300,.