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The Presidency, yesterday, clarified the concessions foreign exchange rate of N191 to $1 (US) for the 2016 intending pilgrims for Hajj and Jerusalem. The Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media and Publicity Garba Shehu’ in his Twitter handle, said the policy was non-discriminatory, noting that it had been approved before the current foreign exchange regime came into effect.

Mallam Garba Shehu

The presidential aide confirmed in his tweet that the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN) had confirmed the approval, but wondered why the apex bank had not deemed it proper to notify the public before now. Confirming the development, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) said the Federal Government has not given foreign exchange waiver to Nigerian pilgrims performing this year’s Hajj.

NAHCON in a statement by its Head of Media, Uba Mana said, “If there is one thing that the Government did for the Nigerian pilgrims, it was to allow the exchange rate prevalent at the time of payment of Hajj fare in February when the current flexible exchange rate was not in action to subsist.

“It is therefore, wrong and mischievous for some persons or media organizations to peddle unfounded claims that the Federal Government gave the Nigerian pilgrims a waiver, this to us smack of an attempt to blackmail the Government