The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Professor Saleh Usman, has assured President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima that the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage will be one of the best the country can be proud of.
This was stated as he commended them for their belief in him and their efforts in ensuring a hitch-free 2025 Hajj operation.
He made this known in a statement he personally signed, which was given to the press in Kano.
He called on all executive and non-executive members of the board, all members of NAHCON staff, state executives of Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards, commissions/agencies, private operators, and other relevant stakeholders to come together, unite as a single NAHCON family, and put all hands on deck to ensure a successful and hitch-free Hajj operation.
He further stated that it was imperative for him to address allegations and complaints made by some non-executive board members of the commission against him.
According to him, some of the claims include non-inclusion in procurement activities, purchase of official vehicles for non-executive members, lack of access to his office by these non-executive members, deliberate refusal to attend to them, and non-payment of board members’ entitlements/allowances, as well as the role and status of non-executive board members.
He clarified that the claims of non-executive board members regarding involvement in procurement activities are unfounded. He emphasised that, by virtue of their position, these non-executive board members have no specific role in either the Procurement Act or the NAHCON Act, particularly in procurement and administrative activities.
He referred to Rule 2 of the NAHCON Act, which clearly stipulates the status and function of all members of the board. It states: “The Chairman and three full members of the Commission shall serve on a full-time basis. The remaining six members, at least two of whom should be women, shall serve on a part-time basis.”
Professor Saleh then emphasised that the claim made by the board member representing the North East, Alhaji Abba Jato, whom he considers to be honourable and humble, is also baseless.
Before his tenure as chairman, it was traditional to include two non-executive board members in the pre-visit contingent.
During the Commission’s first pre-Hajj visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under his leadership, two non-executive members—Haj Aisha Obi, representing the South East, and Alhaji Abba Jato, representing the North East—were nominated to participate. They actively participated in all pre-visit exercises and were fully paid all their travel allowances, including air tickets, visas, estacode, telephone, and local transport.
He disclosed that these records are available in the Commission. He stated that at no time was a board member co-opted in the Kingdom to partake in any offshore activities or sponsor themselves for any pre-Hajj visit, as claimed by Alhaji Abba Jato.
Similarly, during the last Ramadan Umrah monitoring exercise, two other non-executive members were nominated to partake in the exercise. They were Dr Tajuddeen Agbafe, representing the South West, and Sheikh Muhammad Bin Usman, representing the North West. They were fully paid all their entitlements.
Regarding the claim that non-executive board members were not given official vehicles, he clarified that there is no provision in the NAHCON Act or any other approval supporting this claim. The Commission has never provided such vehicles to any member in the past.
He stated that the claim that non-executive members could not access the Chairman’s office was untrue. He operates an open-door policy, not only for board members but for all staff of the Commission, stakeholders, and official visitors. He expressed surprise at this allegation, particularly from Mrs Aisha Obi, representing the South East Zone.
He noted that Mrs Obi was frequently present in his office, often spending hours there even after official matters had been exhausted. Similarly, Dr Tajuddeen Agbafe, representing the South West, was also a familiar face in his office, bringing issues that were always given necessary attention.
Another baseless claim by these members is the non-payment of members’ entitlements. He stated that, to the best of his knowledge, no member has been denied any entitlements, whether sitting allowances, travel allowances, or estacode. If there were any oversights, they were never brought to his attention.
The Chairman expressed his profound displeasure with the behaviour of some non-executive members for their failure to report or advise him on these allegations. As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, he believes he deserves to be informed of such claims to take appropriate action.
He concluded that those perpetrating these allegations have no other motive than to distract the Commission and sabotage the already planned 2025 Hajj operation.
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