When Pa Akinsiku tried to perform this year’s Hajj, he came face to face with the stark reality of pilgrimage in Nigeria. Efforts to obtain the Hajj form from Ondo State where he hails from failed : he was told that all the forms had been bought by the state and local governments for hundreds of sponsored candidates. Out of the over 1.6
million foreign pilgrims that are in Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj, 85,000, or 5.3 percent, are Nigerians. Similarly, over 25 ,000
Christians are taking part in this year’s pilgrimage to Israel and other holy sites in Italy adored by Christians across the world. Altogether, 110 ,000 Nigerians will be fulfilling a religious obligation that many have come to see as an annual ritual. Visiting the holy land, at least once in a lifetime, is one of the five pillars of Islam. The others being, testifying to God’s oneness, fasting, giving alms to the poor, and upholding the five daily prayers. Similarly, visiting Jerusalem for pilgrimage, though not a biblical injunction, has become an important event for Christians. Today, many Nigerians see pilgrimage as a status symbol and so Christians add the initials J.P. (Jerusalem Pilgrim) to their names, just like muslims add Alhaji, Alhaja of Hajia, to theirs, proof that they had been to pilgrimage. Government sponsorship The whole twist to pilgrimage in Nigeria is that many now see it as patronage, and government sponsorship has now become a campaign tool and a means of democratising the culture of corruption and settlement in the system. Only last month, Governor Alao Akala of Oyo State seized the opportunity of the send- forth organised for the state’s Hajj contingent to campaign for re-election next year. Over 1 ,000 of the 1 ,500 pilgrims were sponsored by the government. Said Mr Akala, “If these 1,500 and another 1,500 that will be going to Jerusalem bring along 10 each to vote for us, then we will be here again next year to do this kind of programme for another set. As you are going to the holy land, you will pray. Pray for the peaceful co- existence of the country and that of the state. Pray for us to return to power in the next election, and encourage another 10 people to vote for us in the election,” he told the crowd. This is a familiar scenario across the 36 states and Abuja, and the entire local governments. The federal government also has its sponsorship list, which include military personnel that go on pilgrimage under full government cover. Yet, according to the Constitution, pilgrimage is supposed to be a personal spiritual journey. Cost implication In an October 12
circular, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said the government has approved the purchase of Saudi Riyal Travellers’ Cheque (SRTCs) equivalent to $ 750.00 as minimum and $1 , 500.00 as maximum personal travel allowance (PTA) for individuals at a concessionary exchange rate of N 135.00 to the US Dollar. “For pilgrims buying SRTC above the $1,000.00, the difference shall be bought at the prevailing Naira exchange rate to the US Dollar on the day of the purchase,” the circular added. Similarly, on November 5 , the CBN issued another circular in respect to Christian pilgrimage. “The government has also approved the purchase of a maximum of $1 ,000 at a concessionary rate of N135 to the dollar by each intending pilgrim, as personal travel allowance.” With official exchange rate at N150 and N152 at the parallel market, it means government is subsidising this year’s pilgrimage by over N1.54 billion. This is in addition to the over N14.93 billion, which is the full amount that the 110 ,000 pilgrims will expend on the annual religious obligation this year.

Nigeria is really sick.

The only wasted money i see here is all the funds spent on your education.
So many years of study and you still don't know that paragraphing long articles is the proper thing to do to make it easy for people to read.

texazzpete:
The only wasted money i see here is all the funds spent on your education.
So many years of study and you still don't know that paragraphing long articles is the proper thing to do to make it easy for people to read. The write up was culled from 234next.com. So, don't be silly. Even if u want to correct someone, must u sound like an oaf? Ewu!

Stop wasting your Money on pilgrimage. One of my muslim friend traveled throughout the Middle East and North Africa; he shared with me with sadness how dark skinned Africans were treated negative in Mecca , Saudi Arabia during Hajj. Islam has become more Arabism than Islam, but most Africans Muslims want to overlook the Arab racism in Islam. In Islam you will always find the dark skinned Africans people subservient to the Arab light skinned ruling class.

Wasting Our Money On Pilgrimage.

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okstol:
When Pa Akinsiku  tried to perform  this year’s Hajj, he came face to  face with the stark reality of pilgrimage in Nigeria. Efforts to obtain  the Hajj form from Ondo State where he hails from failed : he was  told that all the forms had been bought by the state and local  governments for hundreds of sponsored candidates. Out of the over 1.6
million foreign pilgrims that are in Saudi Arabia  for this year’s Hajj, 85,000, or 5.3 percent, are Nigerians. Similarly,  over 25 ,000
Christians are taking part in this year’s pilgrimage to  Israel and other holy sites in Italy adored by Christians across the  world. Altogether, 110 ,000  Nigerians will be fulfilling a religious  obligation that many have come to see as an annual ritual. Visiting the holy land, at least once in a lifetime, is one of the five  pillars of Islam. The others being, testifying to God’s oneness,  fasting, giving alms to the poor, and upholding the five daily  prayers. Similarly, visiting Jerusalem for pilgrimage, though not a  biblical injunction, has become an important event for Christians.  Today, many Nigerians see pilgrimage as a status symbol and so  Christians add the initials J.P. (Jerusalem Pilgrim) to their names,  just like muslims add Alhaji, Alhaja of Hajia, to theirs, proof that  they had been to pilgrimage. Government sponsorship The whole twist to pilgrimage in Nigeria is that many now see it as  patronage, and government sponsorship has now become a campaign tool and a means of democratising the culture of corruption and  settlement in the system. Only last month, Governor Alao Akala of  Oyo State seized the opportunity of the send- forth organised for the state’s Hajj contingent to campaign for re-election next year. Over  1 ,000  of the 1 ,500  pilgrims were sponsored by the government. Said Mr Akala, “If these 1,500 and another 1,500 that will be going  to Jerusalem bring along 10  each to vote for us, then we will be here again next year to do this kind of programme for another set. As you are going to the holy land, you will pray. Pray for the peaceful co- existence of the country and that of the state. Pray for us to return  to power in the next election, and encourage another 10  people to  vote for us in the election,” he told the crowd. This is a familiar scenario across the 36  states and Abuja, and the  entire local governments. The federal government also has its  sponsorship list, which include military personnel that go on  pilgrimage under full government cover. Yet, according to the  Constitution, pilgrimage is supposed to be a personal spiritual  journey. Cost implication In an October 12
circular, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said  the government has approved the purchase of Saudi Riyal Travellers’ Cheque (SRTCs) equivalent to $ 750.00  as minimum and $1 , 500.00  as  maximum personal travel allowance (PTA) for individuals at a  concessionary exchange rate of N 135.00  to the US Dollar. “For pilgrims buying SRTC above the $1,000.00, the difference shall  be bought at the prevailing Naira exchange rate to the US Dollar on  the day of the purchase,” the circular added. Similarly, on November 5 , the CBN issued another circular in respect to Christian pilgrimage. “The government has also approved the purchase of a maximum of  $1 ,000  at a concessionary rate of N135  to the dollar by each  intending pilgrim, as personal travel allowance.” With official exchange rate at N150  and N152  at the parallel market, it means government is subsidising this year’s pilgrimage by over  N1.54  billion. This is in addition to the over N14.93  billion, which is  the full amount that the 110 ,000  pilgrims will expend on the annual religious obligation this year.

okstol:
Nigeria is really sick.

texazzpete:
The only wasted money i see here is all the funds spent on your education.
So many years of study and you still don't know that paragraphing long articles is the proper thing to do to make it easy for people to read.

okstol:
texazzpete:
The only wasted money i see here is all the funds spent on your education.
So many years of study and you still don't know that paragraphing long articles is the proper thing to do to make it easy for people to read.    The write up was culled from 234next.com. So, don't be silly. Even if u want to correct someone, must u sound like an oaf? Ewu!

Horus:
Stop wasting your Money on pilgrimage. One of my muslim friend traveled throughout the Middle East and North Africa; he shared with me with sadness how dark skinned Africans were treated negative in Mecca , Saudi Arabia during Hajj. Islam has become more Arabism than Islam, but most Africans Muslims want to overlook the Arab racism in Islam. In Islam you will always find the dark skinned Africans people subservient to the Arab light skinned ruling class.
My anger is the money that govt. is wasting in the name of sponsoring people to pray for the nation. Where as Saudi and Israel are making money via tourism.

lol @ Jerusalem Pilgrim as a title. Hilarious!

How is it your money?

#Dem go juba bishop,juba pope,juba iman.Dem start to yab demselves-inspiritum heavinus,allahu akbar.

Black africans like to follow sheepishly like zombies,hence our pitiful downfall and mental confusion.

^^^ Felabration

@ Mobinga, ur brain box don loss.

Any president that stops funding the pilgrimage will just find himself in hot soup.

So let us keep on chopping the money but create bottlenecks for abuses.

Only in Nigeria, especially in the north that public money is misused in paying for private holiday (vacation) all in the name of pilgrimage.
My religion is Shinto, please can Nigerian govts pay for my flight to Japan, for my pilgrimage? That will be nice.