JUST IN: Kaduna Pilgrims Board Announces 2019 Hajj Fare

The Kaduna State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board (SMPWB), on Saturday, announced N1.5million as 2019 Hajj fare for intending pilgrims in the state. The board’s Public Relations Officer, Malam Yunusa Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement in Kaduna. Abdullahi said that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), had approved N1, 549,297.09 as the 2019 Hajj fare for the state intending pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He said that the state overseer of the board, Imam Hussaini Ikara, explained that the fare was arrived at after computation of all hajj components, including accommodation in Makkah and Madinah respectively. Abdullahi also said that all pilgrims were to receive 800 Dollars as Basic Travelling Allowance (BTA). “No provision was made for minimum and or maximum BTA as practised in the past. “People who have performed hajj in the last four years are to pay additional charges of 2,000 Saudi Riyals, equivalent of over N162, 000. “Already, prospective pilgrims from the state have made deposits of between N800,000 and N1.5m with the board. “All the intending pilgrims are expected to obtain customised bank teller at their respective Local Government registration centres before making the payment.’’ However, Ikara urged the intending pilgrims to hasten their payments as the process of acquiring visa had since commenced and the need to pay the balance of the fare to NAHCON on schedule.