From KABIRU YUSUF, Abuja
The Minister of Information and Communication, Mr. John Odey who disclosed this yesterday after the first Federal Executive Council meeting, further said government’s decision was necessary so as to give all (Muslim and Christian) intending pilgrims the chance to prepare their minds for the 2008 when the subsidy will be finally removed.
He pointed out that the subsidy enjoyed by both Christian and Muslim pilgrims will end with the 2007 pilgrimage, adding that this is so, in order to ensure that only those who can afford to embark on pilgrimage do so as it was a purely religious matter.
Mr. Odey explained that, the decision by government to scrap the concessionary exchange rate was to ensure that pilgrimage remains a purely religious matter and only those who can afford it embark on the exercise.
He added that: “The decision of government in doing this is in line with the religious doctrine. For you to go on Hajj, it is if you can afford it. The decision is also for effective and efficient management of the scarce resources now.”
The minister while stating that though the subsidy will be completely removed by 2008, he also said government was taking other measures to ensure that pilgrims have a safe and easy passage to observing their religious obligation.
In his words “the government is funding the structure and other opportunities that will facilitate safe and easy arrangement for this pilgrimage, so the issue of subsidy is not the only area where government is obviously giving considerations.
“The issue of subsidy as it pertains to travel is becoming a great issue of concern because government is receiving requests for concessionary exchange rates in so many areas that government cannot afford. Relevant government agencies were also directed to ensure that the decision of government on the stoppage of concessionary exchange rate was given adequate publicity,” he stated.
Other issues discussed at yesterday’s meeting, he said include reversing of former President Obasanjo’s decision to remove the supervision of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms from the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation to the Presidency.
Minister of Information and Communications Mr Odey who was flanked by the minister of state in the ministry, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki Nakande, said that to determine this a seven-man committee to look into the proper status of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms was set up and it is to report to government within one week.
The committee which is headed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, he said has as its members the ministers of information and communication, defence, science and technology, national planning, Federal Capital Territory while the Head of Civil Service of the Federation is to advise the council whether the BPSR should be autonomous or domiciled in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.
According to the minister, the Bureau of Public Service Reforms was the agency responsible for the right sizing and down sizing in the federal civil service that saw the retrenchment of thousands of civil servants.
Mr. Odey who assured that government is determined to pay all those sacked from the civil service their entitlements, added that majority of them have not been paid their entitlements, several years after their disengagement.