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We’ll No Longer Sponsor Pilgrims To Mecca, Jerusalem – Ekiti Govt
The Ekiti state government says it has cancelled using public funds to sponsor pilgrims to Mecca and Jerusalem.
Bisi Egbeyemi, the deputy governor, disclosed this when he hosted members of the state Muslim pilgrims Welfare Board on Tuesday.
The move is in line with the federal government’s decision to end sponsorship of pilgrims, hence saving funds for development purposes, Odunayo Ogunmola, the deputy governor’s special assistant on media, quoted her to have said.
The board members led by Babatunde Onipede, its chairman, were on a courtesy visit to the deputy governor’s office which supervises the agency in the state.
In his remarks, Egebeyemi said the state will no longer take part in sponsoring of pilgrimages, adding that no allocation is made for it in the budget.
He asked those interested in visiting Mecca and Jerusalem for pilgrimage to seek private sponsorship.
“Both the Federal Government and the State Government have said they will not spend their money on pilgrimages again and that is why there was no budgetary allocation to it,” he said.
“Anybody wishing to perform his religious obligation of going to the holy land must do so with his own personal savings and that was what I told the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) when their executives made a similar request because we must be fair to all.”
Egbeyemi said the board’s demand for office furniture and utility vehicles are legitimate and would be looked into.
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