Adamawa Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board says it will begin transportation of its 2,574 intending pilgrims from Yola International Airport to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on June 2.
The board’s Executive Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Salihu, who stated this at a news briefing in Yola on Friday, said that the intending pilgrims would be transported by Euro Airline and that the exercise would end by June 6.
Salihu said that the board had fully completed all the necessary arrangements, including accommodation, transportation and feeding.
He said that the board had also paid for yellow cards and bags, among others, to ensure a hitch-free pilgrimage.
According to him, all the intending pilgrims have been registered on the e-tract visa portal control by the Saudi Arabian government.
The executive secretary further stated that the state government had paid for all the intending pilgrims and 108 officials, while local governments in the state also sponsored 157.
According to him, the intending pilgrims will receive $700 basic travelling allowance (BTA) each, as against $800 in the previous years, due to the crisis in Sudan.
“This is from the National Hajj Commission (NAHCO), and not the creation of Adamawa State.
“We all know that the Sudan crisis has brought lots of challenges for intending pilgrims from Africa, as the country has closed its airspace.
“So the airline requested for additional funds from NAHCO. After much pleading, it agreed to collect additional $250.
“Rather than going back to the intending pilgrims to request for additional fee, it was decided that the BTA be reduced from $800 to $700 to defray the additional cost,” he said.
Salihu urged the pilgrims to be disciplined in their spendings while in the Holy land, especially with the reduction in BTA and possible increase of ‘Hadaya’ fee owing to the crisis in Sudan from where most of the sheep used to be supplied.
He thanked Gov. Umaru Fintiri for his support to the board as well as all stakeholders and staff members for working tirelessly to ensure the success of the exercise.
