By Sadiq Umar – The National Hajj Commission has denied being given FOREX waiver by the Federal Government (FG), saying it was “wrong and mischievous” for anyone to have made such claim.
The reaction came on the heels of allegations that the Buhari administration is giving preferential treatment to Muslims on pilgrimage by lowering the foreign exchange rate this year’s pilgrims.
Although, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has defended the flexible exchange rate claims, saying the same applied to Christians pilgrims.
The Commission’s denial, however, was made in a statement issued Sunday in Abuja by its Head of Media, Uba Mana.
Mr. Mana said, “If there is one thing that the Government did for the Nigerian pilgrims, it was to allow the exchange rate prevalent at the time of payment of Hajj fare in February when the current flexible exchange rate was not in action to subsist.
“It is therefore wrong and mischievous for some persons or media organizations to peddle unfounded claims that the Federal Government gave the Nigerian pilgrims a waiver.”
It would be recalled the Presidency in a statement issued last Friday in Abuja and titled: “FOREX for Hajj 2016” explained that the exchange rate of N197:00 to a Dollar was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari about three months ago, “much earlier than the new FOREX regime came into being”.
Earlier, Presidential Spoksman, Garba Shehu indicated that the Hajj Commission Chairman has confirmed that the policy was “non-discriminatory”.
The statement further confirmed that the rate was approved for Christian and Muslim pilgrimages for this year, adding that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has offered an explanation.
