Payment of BTA via card unjustified, Kano pilgrims board DG tells NAHCON
Payment of BTA via card unjustified, Kano pilgrims board DG tells NAHCON
The Director General of Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Lamin Rabi'u Danbappa has described as u justified, the decision of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, to pay part of the Basic Travel Allowance, BTA, for this year's Hajj via payment card.
The DG made the call at a meeting to discuss the issue pertaining the BTA at he board's headquarters on Thursday.
The NAHCON had issues a directive to state pilgrims boards pilgrims to pay $200 BTA in cash, while the remaining $300 will be accessible by the pilgrims via card in Saudi Arabia.
In a statement by the board's spokesman, Suleman Dederi, Danbappa pointed out that "many pilgrims come from rural areas and may not be familiar with using cards to access their funds in Saudi Arabia."
Danbappa therefore called on the NAHCON to reconsider this decision, noting that "it imposes additional hardships on the pilgrims, who are already facing challenges due to the high Hajj fare this year.
The Director General emphasized that requiring pilgrims to use cards in Saudi Arabia could lead to numerous problems during the Hajj exercises.
He stressed that the BTA is intended to assist pilgrims and should not be a cause of confusion or difficulty," the statement reads in part.
He urged the relevant authorities to ensure that the BTA is provided in a manner that genuinely assists the pilgrims, without complicating their experience.
The statement added that the Chairman Board of Directors of the Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Yusif Lawan, led the meeting to discuss the issue pertaining to the BTA.
Lawan stated that the board had recently received a directive from the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria regarding the BTA process. According to the directive, pilgrims will receive only $200 in cash, while the remaining $300 will be accessible via card in Saudi Arabia.
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