Boko Haram insurgency has impoverished majority of the population of Borno State over the years, reducing the number of those who can afford pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia from the state by about 70 percent. “Before the insurgency, sometimes over 4000 persons went on Hajj; but now we are struggling to meet a 1500 target,” Dr. […]
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Boko Haram insurgency has impoverished majority of the population of Borno State over the years, reducing the number of those who can afford pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia from the state by about 70 percent.
“Before the insurgency, sometimes over 4000 persons went on Hajj; but now we are struggling to meet a 1500 target,” Dr. Mustapha Muhammad Ali, the Executive Secretary of the Borno State Pilgrims Welfare Board, told Kanem Trust.
“The insurgency has halted most economic activities. Majority of those that would have been undertaking the economic activities to earn them the wherewithal to pay the Hajj fare are in IDP camps now struggling to manage their lives.”
He described the security situation of the state impoverishing and chasing majority of the people as one of the major challenges of the Board.
Dr. Ali said, however, that out of the 2056 seats allocated to it by the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) for the 2019 Hajj exercise, the state is hopeful of meeting the 1500 it has targeted.
He said as at last weekend a total of 1010 had already deposited the fare, adding, “but we are still registering depositors. So we are hopeful of meeting the 1500 target for this year, because state and local government-sponsored pilgrims are yet to come.”
The Executive Secretary said the approved Hajj fare for 2019 for pilgrims from Borno state is now N1, 444, 443.57 after the reduction of N51, 170.45 from the original N1, 495, 614.11 earlier announced.
He urged all intending pilgrims from the state, who have not completed their full fare to do so before the Monday, 15th July closure date.
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