Withdrawal of pilgrims’ subsidy

IN a move that may mark gradual official disengagement from the organisation of pilgrimage in the country, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at its maiden meeting announced the withdrawal of subsidies on pilgrimage as from 2008. The FEC, however, approved a concessionary exchange rate of N120 to one US dollar for the 2007 pilgrimage operations, adding that this year’s subsidy will be the last to be enjoyed by any pilgrim in the country.

THE current exchange rate of the naira to the dollar is about N126, thus this year’s subsidy is about N6 on one dollar and it would be enjoyed by Muslims and Christians wishing to perform the holy pilgrimage to Mecca and Israel. In other words, the subsidy represents avoidable cost that would be charged to the common wealth though the beneficiaries are just a few citizens.

AS the Federal Government duly noted, religious pilgrimage is ordinarily a private and personal activity. The holy books that recommend it to worshippers do so with a caveat of affordability. The implication of this is that holy pilgrimage is not a must for those who cannot afford it, otherwise, it would be excusable to steal just to fulfill this seeming religious obligation.

HOWEVER, it would appear that there is nothing altruistic in the financial involvement of government in pilgrimage operations in Nigeria. It is strongly believed in some quarters that successive governments in Nigeria had deliberately got involved in sponsorship of pilgrims in a secular state because they saw it as a way to dole handouts to cronies and political hangers on. Having failed in other areas to make life better for the majority poor, these governments sought religious avenues to please a vocal few at the expense of other citizens with the ignoble objective of masking their non-performance. They appealed to emotion and religious sentiments rather than reason. And in the process they carried on as if every citizen in the country belonged to either of the two major religions: Islam and Christianity.

THE state governments are the guiltiest in this case of wasting taxpayers’ money on sponsoring some people on holy pilgrimage. They do not subsidise the expenses of the pilgrims, they foot the entire bills in most cases. They, therefore, committed the scarce state resources to an activity that is not only private to the individuals but is also not religiously binding. Though belated, the announcement of the cancellation of subsidy to pilgrims at the expense of other citizens of the country is a most welcome development. We hope the Federal Government will muster sufficient political will to implement its decision when it takes effect.

IT may be too early to commend the government on this decision because, for now, the announcement is still in the realm of intention to be executed at a future date. Besides, it wasn’t the first time government had made such a pronouncement; the Obasanjo administration had put an end to government’s partial funding of citizens on pilgrimage to Mecca and Israel, but according to the FEC, members of the public were not properly sensitised by the relevant agencies. Therefore, the decision was not implemented.

WE urge government not to allow the current announcement to end like the earlier one. The withdrawal of concessionary exchange rate or subsidy should be implemented in 2008 without fail. Government should rather concentrate on convincing the powerful interest groups which are profiting from the status quo. They are usually the beneficiaries of the government’s wastefulness on pilgrimage sponsorship and not the poor who cannot even afford the barest minimum amount to keep him alive.

IN essence, it is usually the high profile government officials and politicians who are capable of picking their bills for pilgrimage operations that are usually given unneeded support at all tiers of government and by agencies of government. In other words, government sponsorship of people to perform holy pilgrimage is nothing more than mere dispensing of political patronages and/or reward for loyalty.

THE state governments should take a cue from the Federal Government’s new stance on avoidable wasting of state’s resources on sectional and unproductive endeavours. The impression this wasteful practice creates is lack of direction and focussed leadership. Such an ill-thought out and wasteful practice should stop.

WE urge government at all levels to concentrate and focus on provision of goods and services that are of benefit to the citizenry. This is the primary essence of government. Official involvement in religious activities, particularly as it relates to pilgrimage operations should, therefore, be limited to provision of adequate security and normal diplomatic services for the pilgrims. Anything other than these two essential functions would be tantamount to avoidable meddlesomeness that is not in the interest of the greater majority of Nigerians.