bloggernaija: If you can afford to go on hajj, you can afford to buy a phone.
Worst thing I have seen ajimobi do
Very stupid idea to be funding this religious nonsense while many sectors are dying for attention.

deols: OMG!

At this age and time, you have this much hatred over something GOOGlE could have helped you on?


Pilgrims PAY for their hajj and the government makes money from it.

It is only right that whatever would make the pilgrims comfortable is provided by the government. This is like a good customer service.

Some just like to rant when it is a matter of religion even when they have no idea of what is going on.

deols: OMG!

At this age and time, you have this much hatred over something GOOGlE could have helped you on?


Pilgrims PAY for their hajj and the government makes money from it.

It is only right that whatever would make the pilgrims comfortable is provided by the government. This is like a good customer service.

Some just like to rant when it is a matter of religion even when they have no idea of what is going on.

la furia: Most people angry are avoiding the obvious answer which is the people going for hajj paid for it. My aunt in Kaduna payed 650,000 naira for what they call medium chair, big chair is about 750k. The money covers for air ticket, housing and state uniforms and allowance only. Allowance in the sense that they return an amount to you for shopping etc My believe is ogun state decided to include phones because of how people do get loss finding their way around mecca. NIGERIA MUSLIMS GOING TO HAJJ DON'T GO FOR FREE.

rhema4u: OMG I made 1st 15 today.... Oh I can't believe this...

NO LONG TIN: This is soo annoying!!! Why should the government fund people going on pilgrimage?? Shouldn't that be personal?!

We really have a long way to go in this country, the government priorities need to be redefined.

Its not as if sponsoring pilgrimage will reduce the crime rate, corruption or child marriage in the country/state

Any Christian or Muslim that wants to go on pilgrimage should do so from his/her own pocket, God will surely appreciate it more!

The thing that pain me pass be say this same governor said he can only pay a small fraction of all NYSC members serving in state schools/LG because there is no money!


Amosun is trying to tell us that sponsoring and buying phones for these people is more important than NYSC members who come from far and wide....... Who have to survive on 19, 800 per month

Note: money spent on these pilgrims are a luxury but NYSC members need their earned allowances to survive (remember corpers worked for the money)

da_mcqute:


U sound like you av the potential to be smart. A little research would help you more. Please do that before you talk/post anything online cos you just made yourself look foolish. No offence.

NO LONG TIN:

You don’t understand my pain!!!

Ogun state governor said he couldn't pay Corpers serving in his school (state schools) because there is no money. The federal government pays 19800, but the state or private company in which the corpers where posted are suppose to supplement FG stipend.

So my annoyance is that Ajimobi has money to splash on pilgrimage but not on corpers working for him in his school/LG!

Imagine FG saying there is no money for ASUU, then splashing money on phones and pilgrimage.

If you were one of those who castigated FG for buying gold-plated-Iphones (even when it was false), I see no reason why you should justify what Ogun state government did - that's hypocrisy!

Note: I'm talking about corpers working for Ogun state government, i.e our earned allowance

maclatunji:

The total fee most people have to pay for hajj is close to N1 million. The government can easily raise N5,000 from that amount to buy phones.

[size=14pt]Nigeria: FG Announces 2013 Hajj Fares, Approved Airlines[/size]

29 July 2013 , By Abdulkadir Badsha Mukhtar, Source: Daily Trust

Federal government has approved the 2013 hajj fares and five airlines selected for the operation, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has said.

A statement signed by NAHCON spokesman, Uba Mana, said the hajj fares which are for the North and South departure zones, are divided into three categories -minimum, medium and maximum hajj fares - with the first category comprising two grouping of pilgrims made up of those with BTA allowance and those without.

The minimum fare without BTA for the northern departure zones is N526, 996.52 while the southern departure zones is N534,369.52. For the second category - those with BTA - a pilgrim will pay N636, 496.52 and get a BTA of $750 for the Northern departure zones as against last year's N613,645, while those from the South will pay N643, 869.52 and get $750 as BTA.

NAHCON said pilgrims in the medium category from the Northern departure zones will pay N672, 996.52, while those from the South will pay N680, 369.52 with $1000 as their BTA for each.

For pilgrim on the maximum category, those from the northern departure zones will pay N750, 996.52 while those from the South will pay N758, 369.52 with $1500 each as BTA.

The commission also said the five approved air carriers for the airlift of pilgrims registered under the states include Kabo Air Ltd, Med-View, Max Air, Meridian Air and Skypower Express.

For international pilgrims the federal government approved NAS Air Charter, a Saudi-based airline, and Tradecraft Nigeria Limited while Medview Travel Konsult Ltd, Cargo Zeal Technologies Ltd and Slim Aviation Services Ltd will operate as carriers for pilgrims' excess luggage.

The commission therefore, called on all the states and other pilgrims' agencies to speed up the process of collecting the balance of hajj fares from intending pilgrims and remitting same to it to facilitate early conclusion of necessary arrangements.

naptu2: Now I'm scared to post links

1) Tax payers are not given rams and hampers, rather they are given plaques. The following got plaques recently.

Nigerian LNG, Julius Berger, Coca Cola, Citi Bank Nigeria Limited and Standard Chartered Bank. Chairman of Elizade Motors, Chief Michael Ade Ojo, former Chairman of Punch Nigeria Limited, Chief Ajibola Ogunshola, former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Chief (Dr.) Mrs. Akande and Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas among others.

http://www.lagosstate.gov.ng/news2.php?k=1730

2) That wasn't even my point. My point is that the author of the article used the phone issue to attract attention to his piece, but left out the details. It's not possible to know what exactly happened without those details (we can only guess). So my questions are:

A) Why did the government give them phones (it's not stated in the article).

B) Where did the money come from?

C) Can the phones be described as "free phones" If, as has been suggested by some, the funds came from the fees paid by the pilgrims? (The article said the phones are free).

omonnakoda:

No the most important thing is ; was it in the Ogun State Budget ?

You are the one suggesting that it comes from the money they pay.Do they pay a kobo to OGUN STATE ??

naptu2: Ok, so two more questions (in addition to my earlier questions).

1) How much is the 2013 hajj fees?

2) Can the phones be described as "free phones" if they are paid for from the pilgrims' fees? (The article refers to "free phones" )

I found the answer to the first question.



http://m.allafrica.com/stories/201307290565.html/

[size=14pt]No Free Hajj Again In Ogun, Says Amosun[/size]

The Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, has declared that henceforth the state government won’t sponsor people on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem.

He stated this yesterday during his state of the state address held at the Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta. He was responding to a question from one of the representatives of a Muslim group at the occasion.

Amosun said: “With apology to all our religious leaders both the Muslims and Christians, I want to say this clearly that there won’t be free Hajj or pilgrimage to Jerusalem for anybody in the state. Nobody should be expecting that the state government will sponsor pilgrimage.

“Why should we be doing that for now, where is the money? A state where we cannot afford to pay workers’ salaries, no water, no electricity, our schools are in shambles, our hospitals are in deplorable conditions, infrastructure in the state are outrightly in decay. How can we now have resources for that?

“There is no free pilgrimage in the state for now. By the time things are getting better and its clear to all of us that the state is okay, maybe, we can then think of that. But for now, no way.”

The governor, however, promised that he will continue with his personal obligations of sending people to the holy land as he had done even before he come into politics.

He said: “Many of you here know that I have been sending people to Mecca and Jerusalem in the last 12 to 15 years before I even dreamt of going into politics. If chance permits and God provides the resources, I will do that personally and not from government purse. I have been doing it and I pray to God to give me more strength and resources to continue doing that.”

naptu2: I just discovered that the state government sponsored pilgrims in the past. I wonder if the anti-spam bot will ban me if I post the article.

omonnakoda:
This is a suggestion by any stretch of the English Language. Or is this NOT a suggestion? Please check up the meaning of the word and stop being childish
.
In order word you indicate that there is a possibility. I am saying there is NO POSSIBILITY of such.
Ogun state is NOT a carrier for HAJJ

omonnakoda: how is that relevant to mobile phones now

naptu2:

Deols and Maclatunji suggested that it was from the hajj fees and I asked if the phones can be described as free phones if they were from hajj fees (the article refers to free phones).

So you can see, I never made any such suggestion.