TheNewsGuru

Tag: Pilgrimage

  • Buhari arrives Madinah for lesser pilgrimage, official visit

    Buhari arrives Madinah for lesser pilgrimage, official visit

    President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived in Madinah, Saudi Arabia to commence an eight-day official visit to the Middle East country.

    Presidential aircraft conveying the Nigerian leader and some of his aides departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja at 9:10 a.m, on Monday, landed at Prince Mohammed Bin Abdullaziz International Airport Madinah at about 17:00 p.m. local time.

    While in Madinah, the president would be observing the five daily prayers as well as Taraweeh prayer at the Masjid Nabawi before departing for Makkah via Jeddah, late on Wednesday, for the lesser pilgrimage.

    Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s spokesman had on Monday via a statement revealed that this year’s official visit from April 11 to 19 would be Buhari’s last trip to the Kingdom as President.

    The president last performed the Umrah in 2021.

  • 2023 Hajj: Katsina pilgrims board announces deadline for fares

    2023 Hajj: Katsina pilgrims board announces deadline for fares

    The Katsina State Pilgrims Welfare Board has fixed April 21, as the deadline for the completion of hajj fares by the state’s prospective pilgrims for the 2023 pilgrimage.

    The board’s Public Relations Officer, Alhaji Badaru Bello-Karofi, made the announcement in a statement on Monday in Katsina.

    He said it was sequel to the meeting of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) with Chief Executive Officers of the pilgrims welfare offices of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

    The PRO said: “The NAHCON fixed N2.91 million only as hajj fare for states in the North, where Katsina State belonged.”

    Accordingly, the PRO “the Katsina Pilgrims Welfare Board is calling on intending pilgrims who registered for the hajj and made deposits to settle their balances between now and April 21.”

    He, therefore, advised the prospective pilgrims to approach any of the board’s zonal offices to complete their payments.

    The officer revealed that all payments must be made via bank draft, payable to the state pilgrims welfare board, as “no cash payment is allowed”.

    He further called for continued support and cooperation from the public in its preparations for the successful exercise.

    Bello-Karofi also prayed the Almighty Allah to enable the board to conduct a hitch-free hajj operation.

    Recall that NAHCON had allocated 4, 913 hajj seats to the state for the 2023 Hajj.

    Each of the intending pilgrims had deposited minimum of N2.5 million before the registration, as directed by the board.

  • Why we have different hajj fares for States – NAHCON

    Why we have different hajj fares for States – NAHCON

    The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has explained why it fixed different hajj fares for various states of the federation.

    The Deputy Director, Information and Publication of NAHCON, Mousa Ubandawaki, made the clarification in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

    He said for over two months, the commission had been working to ensure that the fare did not spiral out of the reach of average Nigerian Muslims, especially against the backdrop of the global economic crisis, bourgeoning inflation, and the depreciation of the naira against the dollar in the forex market.

    He said that since the announcement of the final hajj fare for Nigerian pilgrims by the NAHCON boss, Zikrullah Hassan, a varied limited number of people have been asking questions about why the pilgrims from the states of the federation would have to pay different fares from the same country.

    Thank goodness that the commission was able to keep the price below N3 million against all these odds.

    ”At the inception of the screening of airlines for this year’s Hajj, the commission, through the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), was made aware that tickets for air travel, including the chartered flight that Hajj carriers charge, is influenced by the nautical mile the aircraft covers.

    ”It is the reason why the air ticket for Maiduguri and Yola departure is much lower than all the other Northern states as well as Southern Nigeria due to its proximity to Saudi Arabia.

    He said that while pilgrims from those two airports spent less than four hours to Saudi Arabia, those from other regions of the North and Southern states spend five or more hours to the same destination.

    According to him, the other reason is the price and location of accommodation in Makkah.

    He said that it was a known fact that some States Pilgrims Welfare Boards, with their large contingent, needed a more expansive house or building to accommodate some of their pilgrims while some others may not need as much.

    The deputy director stated that in sourcing for accommodation, the various states subscribed to accommodation that suited their needs and capacity.

    He said that under the NAHCON’S Act and policy as a regulator, its job was to ensure that the states complied with the benchmark and the standard of accommodation was commensurate with the fare charged.

    ”This is to ensure compliance with the rule and philosophy, the commission was at the forefront of monitoring and supervising the negotiation process of the accommodation prices.

    ”More often than not, it rejected any price it considered skyrocketing, even when it has already been agreed upon by the state and the building owner.

    ”This is with the sole objective of making sure that the asking price is commensurate with the quality of the accommodation.

    ”Unfortunately, at this time, it is the sellers’ market, wherein demand is higher than the supply due to the ongoing urban redevelopment in Makkah which has seen so many buildings giving way to urban renewal.

    ”This is coupled with the lifting of the cap on allocation to all countries, thus, expanding the attendance from less than one million in 2022 to three million this year, thereby putting more pressure on the existing accommodation market.

    Ubandawaki also said that the other reason why the fare was different from state to state had to do with the local charges by the different state pilgrims as administrative charges, uniforms and registration fees.

    He explained that transportation shuttle for some state pilgrims who had to engage shuttle buses to transport their pilgrims to departure centres which more often than not were located in another state.

    ”These charges varied from state to state; for instance, pilgrims from Zamfara had to be transported to Sokoto for their flight. Same thing with Osun pilgrims who must be moved to Lagos for their transportation.

    ”As I stated earlier, the role of NAHCON in this is limited to fixing a cap on the amount that could be charged by states.

    ”Thus, while states charge as little as N10,000, some others charge as much as N20,000.

    “It is these instances that were responsible for the different Hajj fare announced for each state. It has nothing to do with the political economy of the states.

    Ubandawaki, who acknowledged the sacrifice made by prospective pilgrims to fulfill the religious obligation, promised that the commission would continue to do everything to ensure that pilgrims got value for money.

  • NAHCON announces fares, airlines for 2023 Hajj

    NAHCON announces fares, airlines for 2023 Hajj

    The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Friday in Abuja announced eight different 2023 hajj fares regime for the Northern States and other parts of the country.

    The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NAHCON, Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan, made the announcement at a news conference shortly after a meeting with the Chief Executives of the 36 States and FCT pilgrims boards, agencies and commissions.

    “The 2023 Hajj fare incidentally has eight different costs. Pilgrims in Maiduguri and Yola departure centre in the North East will pay the sum of N2,890,000 and this includes their 800 dollars Basic Travel Allowance (BTA).

    ”For the other Northern States, we have agreed that the cost is N2,919,000, we now move to South which has six different price regime, Edo State is N2,968,000 and the entire South-South and South East are in this same price regime.

    ”Ekiti and Ondo States N2,880,000, Osun state is N2,993,000 and Cross River State incidentally has the cheapest which is N2,943,000, while that of Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states is N2,999,000.”

    Hassan explained that the inflation rate both in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia as well as the scarcity of aviation fuel were largely responsible for the increase in the fare when compare with the 2022 fare which was N2.5million.

    ”And I must also say that there has been an increase in the exchange rate of Naira to a dollar at the official rate.

    ”However, NAHCON and the state pilgrims boards and agencies made several efforts in order to keep the fare at the barest minimum level, while also considering the economic feasibilities and reality of the situation.

    ”I am sure all of you will also agree with me that there has been a global trend in countries of the world by hike in the hajj fare”, he said.

    He revealed that NAHCON and all the 36 states and the FCT pilgrims’ boards have reviewed the 2022 hajj operation and adopted strategies for a hitch-free 2023  operation.

    ”We have agreed with all having reviewed the 2022 operation to do everything that will make us to get every pilgrim that registered to Saudi Arabia in good time.

    ”We have also discussed the issue of Basic Travelled Allowance (BTA) and Yellow Card and we have devised means to ensure that we are in control of the situation .

    ”We have also agreed that there will be zero tolerance for flight delay or cancelation this year and if there is such there will be sanction on the state or pilgrim or airline that is responsible for it”, he said.

    Hassan also said that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved seven airlines that the commission was going to operate with this year.

    According to him, Air Peace, Azman Air, Flynas, Aero Contractors and Max Air, will fly pilgrims from the 36 states and FCT, while Arik Air and Value Jet Air will serve as chattered flights for the Licenced Tour Operators.

    He noted that NAHCON and State Pilgrims boards have agreed to close the
    portal for new registration of intending pilgrims who are going through the Hajj Saving Scheme for hajj on April 7.

    ”After deliberations with the Chief Executives of the State Pilgrims Welfare Boards, we have agreed on the day that the intending pilgrims must complete their money.

    ”Secondly, we have also agreed that today April 7, we are closing the portal for new registration of intending pilgrims who are going through the Hajj Saving Scheme for hajj.

    ”But we have also agreed that April 21, which is two weeks from today will be the day for the final remittance of funds by those who want to go to hajj either through the hajj saving scheme or through the normal pay as go.

    ”We have also agreed that May 21, 2023, will be the day for the inaugural flight for the 2023 Hajj”, he said.

    Also, the Executive Chairman, Yobe Pilgrims Welfare Board, Mai Aliyu Usmam, said all the states executives were part of the decision on the 2023 hajj fares.

    He said that members of the various boards went to Saudi Arabia with the NAHCON officials twice, adding that all decisions and agreements were done together in the interest of the intending pilgrims.

  • Christian Pilgrims boss warns Christians against absconding during pilgrimage

    Christian Pilgrims boss warns Christians against absconding during pilgrimage

    The Executive Secretary, Plateau State- Christian Pilgrims Board, Rev. Fr. George Gorap, has warned pilgrims undergoing the 2023 Christian pilgrimage to Jordan and Israel to shun any plan to abscond while performing the pilgrimage.

    Gorap issued the warning on Sunday while pilgrims from Plateau, Ekiti, Osun and Kwara states were undergoing the pilgrimage exercise in Jordan and Israel.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that Gorap urged the pilgrims to be law-abiding to enable their states to maintain their good name in and outside Nigeria.

    In his words: “It is believed that people come here knowing exactly why they are here but on the other hand some people want to abscond and it is quite unfortunate.

    “The best place to be is at home, people make the mistake of thinking far from the essence and the importance of coming here as pilgrims.

    “We hope that after this exercise, these Nigerians will return home and grow the country together.”

    “Therefore, I urge you to shun the urge to abscond because if you are caught, you will face the full wrath of the law,” he advised.

    According to him, the pilgrimage helps Christians to grow, unites Christians from all denominations and brings unity as a whole.

    He said above all, pilgrimage prepared a believer for his final journey to heaven, adding that it was a reminder that humans were mere pilgrims on earth on a journey to heaven.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that a pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place.

    Typically, this is a physical journey to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system.

    In the spiritual literature of Christianity, the concept of pilgrim and pilgrimage may refer to the experience of life in the world or to the inner path of the spiritual aspirant from a state of wretchedness to a state of beatitude.

  • FG condemns killing of Nigerian pilgrims in Burkina Faso

    FG condemns killing of Nigerian pilgrims in Burkina Faso

    The Federal Government has condemned the gruesome killings of some Nigerian in Eastern Burkina Faso travelling to Senegal on pilgrimage.

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made this known in a statement signed by its Spokesperson, Francisca Omayuli on Tuesday in Abuja.

    According to the Ministry, the Federal government is deeply saddened by the heinous crime against its citizens and is engaging with the government of Burkina Faso to ensure a thorough investigation into the incident.

    The Nigerian government has vowed to bring to book the culprits of the crime.

    The statement reads “the Federal Government of Nigeria received with grave concern, disturbing reports of the gruesome killing of some Nigerian travellers by yet-to-be-identified gunmen on 1st February, 2023 between Kantchari and Fada N’gourma in Eastern Burkina Faso.

    “The Nigerians who belonged to the Tijjaniya Sect were said to be travelling to Senegal on a periodic pilgrimage when the tragic incident occurred.

    “The Nigerian Government is deeply dismayed by this unfortunate development and is engaging with the Burkinabe authorities through the Nigerian Mission in Ouagadougou to ensure a thorough investigation of the incident, with a view to bringing the culprits to book.

    “The Federal Government of Nigeria condoles with the families of the affected persons and enjoins Nigerians to remain calm while investigation is ongoing.

    “May the souls of the departed rest in peace.”

    It was reported that 15 Nigerian pilgrims on their way to Senegal were killed when gunmen in Burkina Faso attacked the buses transporting them.

  • Pilgrimage will enhance leadership, development- NCPC boss

    Pilgrimage will enhance leadership, development- NCPC boss

    The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Rev Yakubu Pam, has urged intending pilgrims to ensure that they return with innovations to help in the development of Nigeria.

    He gave the advice when he and some pilgrim leaders arrived at Amman, Jordan on Thursday to appraise the state of readiness on the forthcoming pilgrimage to Israel and Jordan.

    In a statement by Mr Godiya Mathew, NCPC’s Information Officer 1, Pam said that “Pilgrimage is a journey of moral and spiritual significance”.

    He said that the Christian pilgrimage goal was to build increased faith in Christ, help provoke Nigeria’s nationalism, and enhance leadership and development.

    He recalled that the Pilgrim Commission was working with its mandate to conduct pilgrimage activities to holy sites around the world.

    Pam further said in 2022, Jordan was included on the list of pilgrimage destinations.

    “I am in Jordan with pilgrim leaders to ascertain the preparedness of the ground handlers.

    “We are to also visit the holy sites and inspect the hotels for intending pilgrims and as well inspect the aircraft at Queen Alia Airport.

    “The kingdom of Jordan is home to religious, archeological, and tourist sights, with a population of about 11 million, of which 97 per cent are Muslims and three per cent Christians.

    “It is recorded to be the most peaceful country in the Middle East and a safe and peaceful country with narrow streets,” he said.

    The NCPC boss said he and the pilgrimage managers were well received in Jordan.

    This, he said showed the acceptance of the Christian Pilgrimage in the Kingdom of Jordan.

  • Ekiti tells residents to use personal savings for pilgrimage, as government withdraws sponsorship

    Ekiti tells residents to use personal savings for pilgrimage, as government withdraws sponsorship

    The Ekiti State Government has advocated more private sponsorship of pilgrims to Mecca and Jerusalem, following government’s withdrawal from bankrolling the activity, according to remarks by the Deputy Governor, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi.

    Speaking on Tuesday, at a meeting with members of the State Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board, led by its Chairman, Alhaji Babatunde Onipede, in Ado-Ekiti, Egbeyemi noted that both the federal and state governments had stopped sponsoring pilgrims on holy pilgrimages, to save funds for development purposes.

    He told the board members, who visited him to familiarise themselves with his office, which supervises the Board in the state, that individuals interested in performing pilgrimage should do so through private savings, in view of the government’s withdrawal of sponsorship.

    “Both the Federal Government and the State Government have said they will not spend their money on pilgrimages again, and that is why there was no budgetary allocation to it.

    “Anybody wishing to perform his religious obligation of going to the Holy Lands must do so with his own personal savings, and that was what I told the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) when their executives made a similar request, because we must be fair to all,” Egbeyemi said.

    The deputy governor, however, said that the board’s demand for office furniture and utility vehicles were legitimate and would be looked into accordingly, stressing that the state government was ready to assist the board in the performance of its statutory duties.

    Egbeyemi also expressed satisfaction with the peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians in the state, which made them to live together as brothers and sisters.

    Speaking earlier, Onipede expressed gratitude to Gov. Kayode Fayemi and the deputy governor, for finding him and other members of the board worthy of being appointed to serve.

    Onipede revealed that the board was not run properly during the last administration, hence the need to draw the attention of the present administration to the situation for assistance.

    “It was not functioning as a board during the Fayose administration; it was just lying fallow there and was not run like a board.

    “In Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, we don’t have utility vehicles. Our utility vehicle in Saudi Arabia has been grounded since 2018,” he said.

    Onipede said the board also needed furniture and more funds for the smooth running of the office, for quality service delivery.

  • BREAKING: Saudi Arabia suspends pilgrimage to Holy Land

    Saudi Arabia has temporarily banned travellers from coming to the kingdom for either Umrah, an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, or to visit the Prophet’s Mosque in the city of Medina, as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry made this known in a statement on Thursday.

    “Suspending entry to the Kingdom for the purpose of Umrah and visiting the Prophet’s Mosque temporarily,” the ministry said.

    Riyadh also banned travellers with tourist visas issued by countries “in which the spread of the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a danger, according to the criteria determined by the competent health authorities in the Kingdom,” the ministry added.

    The Umrah, or “minor pilgrimage,” can be undertaken at any time of the year, in contrast to the Hajj, which is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that has specific dates according to the Islamic lunar calendar. Every Muslim should make a pilgrimage to the holy sites of Mecca at least once during their lifetime.

    As of Thursday, over 82,000 people worldwide have contracted COVID-19, of whom 2,800 have died and more than 32,000 have recovered.

  • Soldier, policeman, lecturer, 97 other Nigerians abscond during pilgrimage in Israel

    Soldier, policeman, lecturer, 97 other Nigerians abscond during pilgrimage in Israel

    The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Tor Uja, has said 100 Christian pilgrims absconded during the 2017 pilgrimage to Israel.

    Uja, who made this known while receiving security report of the 2017 pilgrimage on Monday in Abuja, said that no pilgrim absconded in Rome and Greece.

    The NCPC boss said that the 100 pilgrims who absconded were from five states in Nigeria, adding that a serving soldier, a police inspector and a lecturer were among the absconders.

    He, however, did not disclose the states and names of the absconders, but tagged the states as “red flag”.

    He said pilgrims absconded during pilgrimage as a result of their colonial mindset.

    He explained that as part of the efforts of the commission to check pilgrims from absconding, the commission has decided to increase the security surveillance during pilgrimage.

    Uja said that Nigeria was a nation of future while explaining that the coming together of Nigeria was beyond what the colonialists conceived.

    He said the coming together was an act of God.

    He stressed that one of the major responsibilities Nigerian government has for its citizens was to provide adequate security.

    As a part of the commission’s strategy to check defection of pilgrims while in the Holy Land, he explained that NCPC would intensify its screening mechanism to bring defection to an end.

    Uja revealed that the commission has come up with stringent measures that would discourage pilgrims from absconding, such measures as black listing states with penchant for abscondment, publishing the names of absconders and their guarantors in national newspapers, and prosecuting them eventually.

    He urged Nigerians and particularly the youth to have confidence in the country.

    He explained that Christian pilgrimage under his leadership is focused on three aspects which are enhancing the spiritual content of pilgrimage, using pilgrimage to showcase the great beauty and capacity that Nigeria has and using Christian pilgrimage to promote national development.

    He said the forum would make Christians go on pilgrimage and come back as better persons.

    “It is time to build this country and to give it foundation; it is time to give this country a character; it is time to give this country a vision and a hope.

    “It is time to make Nigerians to know that our land is a land of great opportunities.

    “We have more opportunities in Nigeria than in America and in Israel.

    “We have better land than anywhere else, what we are going to get is a revitalisation to meet with the Lord Jesus Christ afresh and to have a revamping of our spiritual lives.

    Uja commended the security committee for a job well done, adding that he would invite them to educate the commission on its observations and recommendation.

    He called on the church in Nigeria to be steadfast in prayers for the nation and to provide leadership.

    Earlier, Emmanuel Nega, a major general and chairman of the committee, said security is the most important aspect of the commission.

    Nega said that the committee was inaugurated to ensure the security of pilgrims to the holy land.

    He said the committee has documented its recommendations that would assist the commission in terms of security and to prevent pilgrims from absconding.

    According to him, the committee consist of 18 members made up of the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Airforce, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Immigration Service, Department of State and Security and Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria.