By Danjuma Attah, Gombe
Intending Muslim Pilgrims for this year’s hajj exercise will no longer get their Basic Travelling Allowance (BTA) through direct cash payments.
The intending pilgrims are therefore directed to open a BTA bank account for them to easily access their funds using an ATM card while performing their hajj rites. The cards will be issued to them before departure from Gombe.
This followed the introduction of a new method for Basic Traveling Allowance (BTA) payment by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for Nigeria’s 2025 intending Pilgrims.
Executive Secretary, Gombe State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Sa’adu Hassan, made this disclosure shortly after his meeting with the Board’s officials and Hajj stakeholders in Gombe State as part of preparations for the 2025 Hajj exercise expected to take place in June.
According to Alhaji Sa’ad, what this means is that instead of the usual method of giving them cash, each Pilgrim will be issued an ATM card to be used for withdrawing their money during the hajj exercise in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, thus, making it mandatory for each pilgrim to open a BTA bank account.
He said, “I wants to use this medium to inform the general public about some developments on Basic traveling Allowance (BTA) payment introduced by the Centra Bank of Nigeria which makes the use of ATM mandatory for all intending Pilgrims during their stay in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia this year.
“This development is in connection to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s cashless policy and to save pilgrims from loosing their money”, Alhaji Sa’adu stated.
He explained that, since 2024 the Central Bank of Nigeria proposed the issuance of the ATM card to Hajj Pilgrims for the payment of their BTA, but that the policy was delayed due to lack of awareness and the short notice given. Officials also raised other issues surrounding the new method of BTA payment.
Before now, the payment of the BTA to all Pilgrims by NAHCON used to be through direct cash payments which is no longer the practice around the world.
Last year, the Basic Traveling Allowance (BTA) for each Nigerian Pilgrim was $400, but has now been reviewed to $500.
The Executive Secretary also spoke on the need for people who are not strong enough to stay away from the exercise saying, “We will not accept pregnant woman even if the pregnancy is one month.
“We have put in place experts to conduct pregnancy tests. Any pregnant woman who maneuver and escape here, upon arrival in Makka Airport, we will do the test again in Saudi Airport.
“Anyone found guilty will be deported. She will not be allowed to perform the hajj and she loses her money. The same thing applies to persons with health issues as well as aged people who are not strong enough to do the Hajj exercise, we will not enrolled them”, he warned.
So far, checks by our correspondent indicate that over 500 intending Pilgrims have made deposits while over 900 seats are still open for payment.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria had allocated 1,480 seats for Gombe State and the Executive Secretary of the Pilgrims Board in Gombe State has called on intending Pilgrims to come and pay While those who have already deposited their money, should try and complete the payments before the first week of February 2025.
The Executive Secretary also assured intending pilgrims that comfortable accommodation reservation and a hitch free visa issuance would depend on early payment by the pilgrims.
Each Gombe State Pilgrims is expected to pay a minimum of 8.4 million Naira for the 2025 Hajj exercise.
end.
