President Muhammadu Buhari has approved N160 to $1 exchange rate for the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission’s (NCPC) operations.
The commission’s Executive Secretary, John Keneddy-Opara, told State House correspondents after briefing Buhari on the commission’s activities at the State House, Abuja.
He said: “As you are aware, he has approved $1 to N160 for the conventional exchange rate for this pilgrimage operation and he also agreed that he will continue to encourage us, particularly as we drive to ensure self-sustenance, to make sure that the pilgrims are able to pay for the pilgrimages by removing government sponsorship.
“This is a journey and we are sure that we are going to succeed. So, he was very happy with the entire process. We are praying that God will help us to be a source of strength to Mr.
President, so that the Federal Government and states will spend the necessary resources on other things while the pilgrimage is self-funding as time goes on.
“We are already running four pilgrimages in one year. The first is the Easter pilgrimage, which has passed, the Youth Pilgrimage which we termed operation catch them young, the family pilgrimage and the overall pilgrimage. For those going to Israel for the 11 days trip, it is N379,840 and for the youth pilgrimage, it is going to cost N357,000.”
Nigerians on pilgrimage, he noted, can now undergo skill acquisition programme organised by the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission and Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture, towards training them in the area of agriculture.
He added: “We are introducing the pilgrimage pilot lottery scheme that will enable people who are lucky to be able to go on this trip without much dependence on the state and the Federal Government.”
He said he was in the State House to brief the President on the activities of the commission.
“I came to brief the President on the activities of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission. Earlier, my colleague, the Chairman of Hajj Commission had come to brief him.
“I had to tell him where we are and how we started the commission and where we are today and our prayers. I want to say that the President was very happy with the commission and he said the commission has done very well.”
Noted
ReplyDeleteStella, Abeg look the date of that publication well... This post is misleading.
DeleteIt's wrong to use tax payers money for pilgrimage for a select few ( because the short fall will definitely be made up from tax collections by the govt), when basic infrastructure have not been provided for the people who pay this tax.
No good roads, epileptic power supply, recessive economy plus dwindling currency value and the govt thinks it's right to spend so much money on religious pilgrimage (whether Jerusalem or Mecca, all Na pilgrimage).
God save Nigeria oh. This same govt refused to invest tax money in education yet have made it difficult for parents who opt to send their children outside to source foreign currency easily. Now they're throwing their support behind pilgrimages... Dem no know where de pain dem, truly.
this is old news now,ken opara is no longer der now,he brought this out to justify his stupid action,buhari is a thief
DeleteThis is a lie, check d date. Its 14th July 2015
DeleteNaira was stable then,but now...How can he do such.my goodness.dis govt is clueless.
DeleteLol. Can't wait for this one year service to be over so I can jet out back to my beautiful switzerland
ReplyDeletesome people would just copy and paste *side eyes @stella*
Deletecan't u see it was dated 2015.
They are only trying to bring to our notice that he did same for Christians last year and him doing it for hajj doesn't make him an Islamic extrimist
Why can't it approve the same for business people?...
ReplyDeleteStupid man...how is this going to help our dead economy?...
Just because people bashed him for approving to his Muslim terrorist brothers that's why he added Christains...
Christains or Muslims,Nigerians don't fucking care!..all we want is $1=1Ngn like you promised!...
foolish woman.goat.calling a man old enough to be your father STUPID.this shows you dont have respct for your own father.bastard.daughter of a palm wine tapper.
Delete*he...
Deletefoolish woman.goat.calling a man old enough to be your father STUPID.this shows you dont have respct for your own father.bastard.daughter of a palm wine tapper.
DeleteDumb fool, look at the date of the publication. It shows you that it was first done for the Christians before Muslims...for fanatics like you claiming he did it only for Muslims. You people are the biased ones because you want it done for Christians only. Your comment just show how sentiments make you people irrational and bias.
DeleteAnon and Older Men till I die stop abusing her, can't you see she is classy? Eeh, what now. (Shines teeth)
DeleteHahahaahahhah.
ReplyDeleteHunh? But it's 2015 news na...
ReplyDeleteThat is the people. For people shouting that it was done for Muslims only but it actually started with Christians.
DeleteSo he has the power to ok the dollar to #160 generally... hmmmmmm na wa ooo. Is he deliberately allowing businesses suffer?
ReplyDeletevery confused president.
ReplyDeleteLol! I weep for Naija.
ReplyDeleteThey shld make it N160 for all, then we will know he's done smthn.
ReplyDeleteOnly if he cares to know d amount of businesses that have packed up becos of dis unstable dollar.
Nigerians we never have our priorities right, I'm not saying going on pilgrimages is not good. But we like over chasing religion in this country meanwhile we have dark hearts.
Does he know d amount of families that will thrive again if business owners can also get dollar at dat rate?
Food items have sky rocketed, ppl are hungry. Was watching a documentary a widow was complaining she and her kids can only afford 1meal a day now, d rest is soaking of garri. And these are small growing children. It is also dis same poverty and lack of medical care that killed her husband. Now she says she earns N500 daily and dat goes on rent of 1room, feeding and school fees. And this woman is hard working. If only she has d funds.
Mtheeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!kwantunue deceiving your self nwoke Onye Hausa
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSo Nigeria has to be on the loss end, then all these two countries have to gain in the name of pilgrimage.
ReplyDeleteWhat of non Christians and Muslims?
Buhari, is this how you're going to grow our Nigeria economy?
Which means you people just inflate everything, making the dollar so high just to extort Nigerians.
There's something you guys are not telling us about this dollar high increase over naira, I wonder if you people really do change dollar at the same rate a common Nigerians do. #mythoughtnotyours#
That's by the way, the date I'm seeing up there says 2015.
Stella, please post this.
Danke schön!
But it's dated there 2015 or am I getting things mixed up?Whatever it is,this administration is just one huge joke.
ReplyDeleteIs the calendar having issues or the news is old.
ReplyDeleteMeaning he did it for Christians first!
Delete@OLDER MEN TILL I DIE. Not only him. I will add you too are a foolish bastard without one iota of common sense. People are dying of hunger. Businesses cannot access FX. Hospital bills cannot be paid. Children being brought back from schools abroad. Business folding from lack of access to FX and you do not think there is a problem sending people of (who gives a **ck what faith) abroad on a subsidised religious jamboree. The only reason I can see this makes sense is PMB is saying there is no hope from me you people should just go and pray to almighty for help! Ass, dimwit, idiot..........
ReplyDeletebastard Anon 13:15 if you have the balls use your ID fool.atleast I used my ID.Shege
Deletebastard Anon 13:15 if you have the balls use your ID fool.atleast I used my ID.Shege
DeleteOlder men till I die the people from camp classy has replied you, this one can't use exclamation mark and dotted lines well, you know who.
Deletebiko what year is this?
ReplyDeleteStella, the official rate then was 160 while the parallel market then was 215...he subsidized 55naira...today official price is about 300 while parallel market is 400...he is freaking subsidizing over a hundred bucks
ReplyDeleteHello!!! That's Not the question?? Pilgrimage is a personal thing why should govt be involved? what revenue will be generated for Nigeria...am not talking about Christian or Muslim now...
ReplyDeleteThis is old news abeg.
ReplyDeleteHe subsidised for muslims and when many complained,he was forced to subsidise for Christians. In the midst of all the problems we face as a country,religion will still take centre stage.
ReplyDeleteInstead of them to subsidise for business people, they rather choose to subsidise for people on pilgrimage. Buhari and his islamic agenda.
anty blossom if they say go to school go to school you will not hear.didnt you see it was for last year and do you havr mouth to talk?didnt you see it was done for the christains first.nonsense
DeleteThis mumu needs to separate religion from politics.
ReplyDeleteI can understand why you have that id as a name "Older men till I die@ because you are looking for handout and free things! That is why your pee brain can relate two completely unrelated issues and see them as one. Because you have used your id your a better person!!LOOOOOOLLLL!! You are a bigger monkey than I thought. Go to school!
ReplyDelete