Sudan Crises: Kano cleric calls for Govt intervention over Increase in Hajj Air Ticket
A famous Kano based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Tijjani Bala Kalarawi, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the $313 US dollar increase in air tickets for the Nigerian intending pilgrims for 2023 Hajj.
There were media reports that the ongoing conflict in Sudan has forced the country to shut down its airspace, forcing Major airliners going to Asia and Middle East to bypass Sudan Air Space.
The four designated airlines for this year's Hajj had requested for additional charges as the journey from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia, which was normally 4 hours, has now been elongated to at least 7 hours because of the closure of the Sudan airspace.
The bypass of Sudan Air Space will necessitate longer flight time and payment of additional service charges to those countries.
The Hajj Reporter had reported that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, is set to reduce the pilgrims' Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) to settle the airlines for the increase in air ticket.
However, Sheikh Kalarawi, in a chat with Freedom Radio Kano, appealed to the president and national assembly members to intervene and possibly shoulder the differences in order to bring succour to the intending pilgrims who have already paid the highest Hajj fare in history.
The intending pilgrims for this year’s Hajj paid the sum of over N2.9 million. According to him, most of the intending pilgrims managed with sweat to pay the N2.9 million fare, noting that it will be another burden to ask them to pay additional charges.
I want to appeal to Mr. President who is a good leader and compassionate about his citizens to intervene and bring succour to our intending pilgrims.
They managed to pay the exorbitant Hajj fare and this issue of Sudan crisis, which elongated the trip to Saudi Arabia came up and the airliners are requesting for additional funds.
So, I appealed to the President and national assembly members to intervene in order to ease the suffering of the intending pilgrims, he said.
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