The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has granted an additional 100 Saudi Riyals as “pocket money” to each of the state’s 1,868 Hajj pilgrims.
The pocket money comes a few days after the governor gave the pilgrims $186,800 to make up for the shortfall in their Travel Basic Allowance for the Hajj pilgrimage.
The gift of the additional 100 Saudi Riyals “pocket money” was revealed in a report shared on the official website of the Lagos State Government on Thursday.
According to the report, the state Commissioner for Home Affairs, Olanrewaju Layode, made the announcement while addressing the pilgrims at Alsaad Flower Hotel 2, Misfalla, Makkah, after his arrival on Tuesday.
The commissioner, according to the statement, announced that Sanwo-Olu gave “each of them another 100 Saudi Riyals as pocket money for their stay in Muna and Arafah in addition to the $100 shortfall in the Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) for pilgrims on the third and fourth batches who are yet to collect theirs.”
He charged the pilgrims to reciprocate the state government’s gesture by praying for the governor and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, to fulfil all the pledges made to them before they departed the state for the holy land.
Layode told the pilgrims that the commitments made by Sanwo-Olu had been honoured, including covering the costs for their sacrificial rams, providing funds for their Ihram garments, and facilitating visits to historical sites in both Makkah and Madinah
He explained that he brought the funds to fulfill all the pledges for the pilgrims on behalf of Sanwo-Olu, urging them to reciprocate these kind gestures with fervent prayers for the governor, his deputy, and the state as a whole.
The PUNCH reports that the Federal Government also said it paid N90bn to subsidise this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, against the backdrop of the prevailing forex crisis in the country.
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