In many ways, but profoundly in his zeal and commitment to fi ght corruption, the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Barrister Abdullahi Mukhtar Mohammed, is like President Muhammadu Buhari. And much like Buhari, who is fi ghting a very diffi cult war against corruption in our country, Mohammed is not fi nding the crusade against the dreaded monster at the NAHCON less diffi cult. Both men expectedly realise now that when you set out to fi ght corruption, you have equally set out to deprive yourself of peace and happiness because, defi nitely, corruption will fi ercely fi ght back.
Th e NAHCON boss, considered a man with unmatched administrative skills and organizational ability, who has earned himself a national honour in the fi eld of Hajj administration, however, remains focused and committed to his task of making the NAHCON a better place by providing effi cient services for pilgrims and to make the agency outstanding. Of course, the impact of his achievements in Hajj operation cannot be gauged properly unless it is subject to comparative analysis of what obtained before and now. In the past, the management of Hajj exercise had thrived in a manner that could be described as ineffi cient, selfi sh and corrupt. Th ose in positions of authority in Nigeria, including some traditional rulers, religious leaders who fed fat on Hajj and Umrah exercises, but who considered themselves custodians of the religion and culture, politicians and public offi ce holders used to go on pilgrimage, sponsor or grant pilgrimage tickets to acolytes and praise singers, with all expenses paid by the government while genuine pilgrims are abandoned and shoved aside. In the same breath, from the money earmarked presumably for the purpose of Hajj exercise, billions were diverted to private pockets. Such situation prevailed until 2015 when President Buhari, apparently on the strength of advice he received from the NAHCON boss and other well-meaning Nigerians, tacitly canceled the offi ce of the Amirul Hajj and said that the federal government was no longer going to send delegation to Saudi Arabia for the purpose of pilgrimage. Instantly, fi nancial leakages in the system were blocked. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu, in a statement then, said that the decision saved government an estimated $1 million in local expenses, about N250 million as at the time the President assumed offi ce.
Shehu, however, said that the government would sustain consular, medical and welfare support to all pilgrims as expected and would also not fail in its obligations to the citizens while on pilgrimage, regardless of the absence of government delegation. If this decision was obviously not favourably welcomed by some few Nigerians in positions of authority who had, in the past, selfi shly benefi tted from the fl awed Hajj management regime, they then, at least, refused to state so or show their disapproval, until now. And their reason is easy to discern. Th e President, who, like the NAHCON boss, is averse to corruption in all its ramifi cations, they reason, is out of the way and far away in a hospital in London. Little wonder that the Sultan of Sokoto and President of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Aff airs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has called for the return of the Amirul Hajj to, as he claimed, better the lot of Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, during the annual hajj exercise.
Th e Sultan made the call at the weekend in Abuja during the opening session of a twoday National Hajj and Umrah Stakeholders’ Conference and 10th anniversary, themed: “Hajj Management in Nigeria: Honouring the Past, Treasuring the Present and Shaping the Future,” organised by the NAHCON. Understandably, the Sultan highlighted the benefi ts that the nation derived while the abrogation of the offi ce last. If the call for return of Amirul Hajj is coming from the Sultan, then we have every cause to worry considering the wastage associated with that highpowered delegation. I think it’s high time that we came to terms with the simple fact that the era of wastage is over in this country. Too many people have arrogated to themselves some religious powers that they do not have and are making things extremely diffi cult for the NAHCON.
Little wonder that the media is now inundated with publications against the commission, with some of the write-ups childishly and irresponsibly accusing the agency of corruption and poor Hajj management when, in reality, the opposite is the case. Of course, the sponsors of these media campaigns make running of the commission diffi cult for the NAHCON chairman, even if he won’t admit it, through baseless petitions and campaign of calumny in some traditional and social media platforms. Th ey have, albeit deliberately, refused to state the positive impacts of the new NAHCON, as presently constituted, particularly in the area of Hajj and Umrah operations and prudent management of resources, which has become the model for other revenue generating agencies. Specifi cally, the sponsors of the media campaign against the NAHCON chairman have ignored to mention that, under his leadership, NAHCON had saved the sum of N2 billion and got the approval of the federal government to purchase the famous Abuja Metro Plaza at the cost N2.4 billion. NAHCON was able to achieve this feat through savings on its houses in Madina, curbing corruption, effi ciency in its services and blocking of some leakages through which funds were embezzled by some offi cials. Of course, if it weren’t for the NAHCON chairman’s integrity, sincerity and forthrightness, the purchase of the Abuja Metro Plaza by the commission would not have been possible. Th e money would have ended up in the pockets of some corrupt individuals.
It is disheartening that despite the glaring eff orts by NAHCON to reposition Hajj and Umrah operations, some elements within and outside the system are trying to drag the commission into the nation’s murky waters of politics. It is in this context that the debates generated by the announcement of the 2017 Hajj fares by the commission should be situated. Whatever the 2017 Hajj fare is, though the amount provided some people with the ammunition to target the commission and its leadership yet again, it is arrived at in the best interest of the pilgrims. Still, Nigerian pilgrims will pay between 500 to 900 Saudi Riyals less for accommodations in Makkah and 614 Saudi Riyals less for accommodations in Madinah. It is hard to imagine how the Hajj exercise will be managed in the country considering many of the initiatives recorded by the NAHCON in recent times. Some of these innovations include the introduction and Gazetting of Hajj and Umrah Regulations, licensing of State Pilgrims Welfare Boards/Agencies, improvement in the Quality/Capacity of Service Providers, introduction of National Medical Team, effi ciency of airlift and related activities as pilgrims now depart for Saudi Arabia and return as scheduled. Other initiatives include improvement in quality of pilgrims’ accommodation in Saudi Arabia, rededication and re-orientation of to pilgrims, and reduction in the cost of administering hajj and, above all, effi ciency in the management of the system. Today, the NAHCON has transformed accommodation arrangements for 2017 Hajj and saved the state and federal governments a lot of money. Th e commission negotiated downwards the cost of all accommodations in both holy cities of Makkah and Madinah and now deals directly with the landlords eliminating the chains of agents who used to be responsible for the high cost of accommodations for Nigerian pilgrims. It is hoped that the NAHCON survives the series of attacks and potshots aimed at it, by mainly those who ungraciously and selfi shly feel sidelined from the scheme of things
