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Hajj: Five States With $383m Debt Budget N9bn For Pilgrims

Published

1 month ago

April 7, 2024

Editor

Five states; Kogi, Kebbi, Jigawa, Bauchi and Kano states, have subsidised Hajj fares for 10,260 intending pilgrims for the 2024 exercise, with a combined sum of N9,120,997,990 billion.

The subsidy payments by the various states’ governments follow the announcement of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, asking already registered pilgrims to pay an additional sum of N1.9m to balance up fares for the 2024 exercise, in accordance with current foreign exchange rates.

With the deadline for the payment given as March 28, the 48,414 pilgrims had only about 72 hours between the time of the announcement of the increase to either come up with the funds to secure their seats or apply for a refund of their money.

In the days that followed the expiration of the deadline, Kogi State Government under Governor Ahmed Ododo was the first to announce full payments of the sum for its 460 pilgrims.

The Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, also announced a N500,000 subsidy for each of its 2,906 pilgrims, followed by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, who announced a subsidy of N959,000 for the 2,290 pilgrims in the state, while Jigawa and Kebbi state governments also subsidised fares with N1m each for its 1,260 and 3,344 pilgrims respectively.

There are also reports that the Rivers State Government paid the total fare for the intending pilgrims, while the Osun State Government subsidised the fares with an undisclosed amount.

The subsidies given by the states are beside the N90bn subsidy allegedly given by the Federal Government to reduce the burden of the fares on the intending pilgrims.

Meanwhile, the states have a combined debt profile of $382.9m, with Kogi indebted to the tune of $54.3m, Kebbi $40.8m, Jigawa $26.2m, Bauchi $170.4m, and Kano $101.3m, as of June 2023, according to the official website of the Debt Management Office.

This, however, will not be the first time governors have sponsored citizens on pilgrimage.

Between 2022 and 2023, 13 state governors spent N14.84bn to sponsor about 4,771 persons on both Muslim and Christian pilgrimages.

A resident of the FCT told our correspondent on the condition of anonymity that “all in all, N5bn set aside for thousands of students and N90bn earmarked for pilgrim subsidy. This can only happen in a country where leaders have no regard for quality education but believe in presenting fake certificates”.

Another respondent, who simply identified himself as Michael, expressed annoyance with the development, stating, “It’s annoying to see government on this path. Why subsidise for the rich who can afford to go on pilgrimage, either Christian or Muslim? Instead subsidise the price of food and transportation, which is what mostly affect the masses”.

Meanwhile, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has disclosed that over 50,000 pilgrims have completed payments for the 2024 Hajj exercise under the government quota.

NAHCON made the disclosure in a statement by the Assistant Director, Public Affairs, Fatima Usara, on Saturday.

According to the statement, the official number of pilgrims now stood at 51,477 after the close of registration for the year’s exercise.

A breakdown of the numbers revealed the sub-total from Borno, Adamawa, Yola, Taraba and Yobe states as 5,492 pilgrims; northern sub-total, 36,261 pilgrims; Southern sub-total, 6,310 pilgrims, while the remaining 3,384 pilgrims were from the Hajj Savings Scheme and others, making the total 51,447.

Usara thanked the Federal Government for its “leading role” and “numerous sacrifices”, towards easing the burdens of the intending pilgrims, while also appreciating State governors and other stakeholders for providing support.
PUNCH

News

Nigerian Emerges First Black Woman To Bag PhD In Robotics At Michigan Varsity

Published

2 hours ago

May 8, 2024

Editor

A Nigerian woman, Oluwami Dosunmu-Ogunbi, has made history as the first black woman to bag a PhD in Robotics at the University of Michigan in the United States.

Speaking at the university’s College of Engineering convocation, Dosunmu-Ogunbi, a daughter of Nigerian immigrants, spoke on the support she received in realising her aspirations.

She said, “I do not stand here on my own two feet alone. None of us got here by our individual merit alone, whether it be teacher, friends, family, mentors, or role models, we each have one or multiple people to whom we are grateful for making this moment possible.”

She added that she wants to be remembered as the University of Michigan’s first black woman to get a PhD in Robotics and she wants to use her knowledge in engineering to improve the lives of others.

She added, “A Michigan Engineer is one who does not just provide scientific and technological leadership, but is also one who is intellectually curious, socially conscious, creates collaborative solutions to societal problems, and promotes an inclusive and innovative community of service for the common good.

“We each have a solemn duty to make positive contributions to the world. Well, my reasons for becoming an engineer were initially frivolous, but they eventually moved into something more meaningful. I want to have a positive impact on the world.”

The University of Michigan Robotics Department website describes Dosunmu-Ogunbi’s journey as one shared by many PhD students who initially lack a clear vision for their final goals.

It added that Dosunmu-Ogunbi has been an active community builder in robotics, earning an MLK Spirit Award from the College of Engineering for mentoring and inspiration as well as being named an outreach ambassador by Robotics for three years, 2021–2023.

The Department also disclosed that she was named a runner-up in the
College of Engineering’s three–minute thesis competition and has been inducted into the Bouchet Society, which recognises outstanding scholarly achievement and promotes diversity in graduate education and the professoriate.

Dosunmu-Ogunbi is currently interviewing for faculty positions, the department revealed.

News

Delta Bloodbath: Relief As Army Withdraws Soldiers From Okuama Community

Published

2 hours ago

May 8, 2024

Editor

Soldiers of the Nigerian Army who have been laying siege on the Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State since March 14, 2024, following the killing of 17 army officers and soldiers on a peace mission, have been pulled out from the community.

Local sources from Akugbene and Okoloba communities in Bomadi Local Government Area told newsmen on Wednesday that “the military troops were sighted suddenly pulling out of Okuama community on Tuesday, May 7, 2024.”

Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, while confirming the troops withdrawal from Okuama community, lauded President Bola Tinubu and the military high command for their interventions.

Oborevwori, at a media briefing, said that with the withdrawal of the troops, the people of Okuama could now safely return to their homes and begin the process of reintegration and rebuilding their homes and community.

The governor said, “My dear good people of Delta State, I have the pleasure to announce to you that, upon many deliberations and collaborations between the state government and the military leadership, the Nigerian Army has agreed to withdraw its officers and men from Okuama.

“I spoke with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, on Monday, 6th of May, and as of today, 8th of May, 2024, the military has withdrawn from Okuama.

“With this development, the people of Okuama can now safely return to their homes and begin the process of reintegration and rebuilding their homes.”

Although Oberevwori had earlier appealed to indigenes and farmers to move into a rehabilitation camp being set up for Internally Displaced Persons by the state government “for proper welfare as a first step towards their resettlement to their community,” Okuama leaders had reportedly expressed reluctance to yield to the governor’s call regarding IDPs.

The Chairman of the State Government Committee to manage the Ewu IDP Camp, Mr. Abraham Ogbodo, who affirmed that the governor had already released N10 million to the Committee to ease the take-off of the Camp site at Ewu Grammar School lamented the noticeable lack of willingness by the Okuama indigenes to move into the IDP camp despite the efforts being put in place.

News

Activists To Protest Reporter’s Detention In Abuja Thursday

Published

2 hours ago

May 8, 2024

Editor

Protesters have vowed to storm the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, on Thursday, over the prolonged detention of a reporter with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, Daniel Ojukwu.

On Wednesday, flyers circulating on social media shared by activists, journalists and other Nigerians called people to “join us for a peaceful protest at the police headquarters Abuja on Thursday by 9am”.

Former presidential candidate and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, also shared the flyer on X which had the reporter’s image, captioning it “An end to #CybercrimeAct2015Now. Let’s all be there at 9 am tomorrow (Thursday).”

Human rights group, the Take It Back Movement, also posted on X, “We will be here tomorrow at 9 am, prompt! Join us. #FreeDanielOjukwu.”

The group’s coordinator, Juwon Sanyaolu, further confirmed to our correspondent in an interview, “We are rallying all our members to participate in the protest. This is democracy and the police are not bigger than the law.”

A lawyer and activist, Deji Adeyanju, also wrote on X, “The protest at the Force Headquarters will also be an opportunity to protest against cybercrime levy.”

Ojukwu was picked up Wednesday, May 1, 2024, by the police on the streets of Lagos and was transferred to the Nigeria Police Force-National Cyber Crime Centre in Abuja on Sunday.

Widespread condemnations have trailed the journalist’s abduction even as the police maintain that a petition was filed against the journalist but have not given details.

The President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Eze Anaba, condemned the reporter’s abduction.

“The police cannot detain somebody for seven days under any law in Nigeria as we speak,” he had told The PUNCH on Tuesday.

FIJ on Monday reported that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria was behind the petition that led to the abduction of Ojukwu by the police.

According to the media house, the petition is in relation to FIJ’s coverage of alleged financial mismanagement in the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire.

In one of its investigative pieces on the office, FIJ had reported how a sum of N147.1m reportedly meant for the building of classrooms and a skill acquisition centre was allegedly sent to the account of a restaurant.

But in a statement on its X handle on Monday, the OSSAP-SDGs denied the allegation, describing it as “false from the onset.”

The statement said the office “has been transparent in its operations and project implementation processes” and noted that “therefore, the assertion that our project was sponsored by a restaurant is false and baseless.”

The Director of the Cyber Crime Centre, Uche Ifeanyi, on Tuesday, told The PUNCH the bail conditions for the detained journalist who has spent seven days in custody had not been met.

“We’ve served them papers for bail conditions. I think the problem is they’ve not been able to meet up with the bail conditions. The person they brought on Monday could not even produce an ID card. They brought someone on Tuesday who is not a civil servant. You know how sensitive the case is. So, once they bring the civil servant of measure, we will know,” he said.

FIJ’s founder, Fisayo Soyombo said on Tuesday it was “insane” to keep the journalist for that long. “I can’t believe this is happening in a democracy. The law is clear. If you feel that something false has been published against you, the process is laid down, you go to court and institute a case. You can’t just pick someone in Gestapo style and claim the person has a case to answer.”