23rd March, 2017
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) says improvement in the fortunes of farmers in Kebbi and Niger has made both states to exhaust their allocation for the 2017 hajj.
Executive Chairman of the commission, Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammad stated this at meeting between NAHCON and the National Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) on Thursday in Abuja.
Muhammad said that farmers who could not afford three square meals in the past now had enough money to participate in the hajj.
This, he explained,was an indication that the agricultural programme of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration was yielding positive results.
“Just before we came to this meeting, a delegation from Niger came to my office requesting for extra 2,000 slots saying they have exhausted the 2,000 originally allocated to them.
“They said, `sir, if you don’t give us, we cannot go back to Niger, we are in trouble because people have farm.
“There is unbelievable production in the agric sector, people have used the opportunity given to them to go back to the farm and they have so much money. Now, they want to go to hajj.
“ To God be the glory but the credit goes to the President Buhari and his team’’, Muhammad said.
The NAHCON boss said he received a phone call from Kebbi asking for more slots in addition to the 4,000 earlier given to them.
“They said people have produced rice in thousands of bags, and now have so much money to fulfil their lifetime religious obligations.
“ These two episodes are not sheer coincidents but an indication that the government’s policy of investing and injecting into agriculture is yielding result.
“Somebody whom you think cannot afford N1 Million is now telling you `please take this N2 million.
“ When you decide how much you want to take out of it then you should let me know, if I have balance you return and if you need more I will give.
“This is somebody who just last year will be asking you for N1000, N200 or if you dash him N10, 000 will be happy, but today he is financially independent courtesy of government programme.
Muhammad, therefore, appealed to public office holders to support the government and continue to give their quota so that the country would move forward.
The Executive Secretary, NCPC, Rev. Tor Uja advocated for enhanced unity among Muslims and Christians with a view to taking Nigeria to an enviable height.
“ I believe a time has come for Nigerians to unite irrespective of religious differences and to be one people with a destiny and a purpose’’, Uja said.