Despite the pronouncement by the Niger State Government that it had stopped the sponsorship of people to Holy pilgrimages in Mecca and Jerusalem, the government said it subsidised the pilgrimages in 2013 to the tune of N1 billion.
The state’s Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Alhaji Shehu Haruna disclosed this to Journalists yesterday in Minna saying that the action of the government was to ensure religious harmony in the state.
He said the subsidy by the government enabled the people to perform their religious obligations with little stress saying that during the pilgrimages, the state was able to provide the best accommodation for its pilgrims.
Haruna said that because of the intervention of government, Niger State Christian pilgrims were adjudged as one of the best in behaviour and conduct during the exercise just as there was also no reported case of defection by any pilgrim from the state either in Saudi Arabia or Israel.
Consequently, he said a religious organisation based in Saudi Arabia is to honour the Niger State governor, Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu for organising the best accommodation for pilgrims from Africa.
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