Recently, President Bola Tinubu fired Jalal Arabi, as Executive Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), and replaced him with Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, subject to confirmation by the Senate.
But why was Arabi unceremoniously fired? Insider sources say it is not unconnected to the 2024 Hajj which the Federal Government released N90 billion to subsidise. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arrested Arabi and the commission’s secretary, Abdullahi Kontagora, over the issue. It has been alleged that the chairman fraudulently overpaid himself, the commissioners, secretary and directors for the 2024 hajj operational cost.
“The chairman was entitled to SR15,929 but he got SR50,000; three commissioners who were meant to get SR 15,929 each received SR 40,000 each. The secretary got SR 30,000 instead of SR14,336. Directors/Chief of Staff received SR 30,000 instead of the SR2,550 they were entitled to. The total of SR314,098 were recovered from all of them,” the source said.
We join other well-meaning Nigerians to condemn this act, but go a step further to call on all tiers of government to hands off the issue of pilgrimage for all religions in the country, be it Islam, Christianity or any others.
The Punch reported that Five states- Kogi, Kebbi, Jigawa, Bauchi and Kano states, have subsidised Hajj fares for 10,260 intending pilgrims for the 2024 exercise, with a combined sum of N9,120,997,990 billion.
In 2021, N2.6 billion was earmarked for programmes and activities of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria and the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission.
N90 billion, as well as what is equally used to subsidise pilgrimage for other religions, are humongous amounts that ought to be re-channeled into other pressing issues currently facing the country.
