The Niger state governor, Umar Bago, has demanded the federal government probe the 2024 Hajj operations and demand accountability from the National Hajj Commission (NAHCOM) on how they spent the ₦90 Billion subsidy provided by the federal government. The governor who spoke with journalists in Mecca on the sidelines of the pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia knocked the Hajj commission and called the 2024 exercise a failure.
“The ₦90bn subsidy paid by the Federal government for the Hajj operation, with some states, including Niger, paying about billions of naira; there is need for the National Assembly to probe the ₦90bn the Federal Government released for the 2024 Hajj. It is ridiculous that pilgrims were given only $400 to take care of themselves for about 40 days despite the payment of ₦8m by each pilgrim.
“The ₦90bn would have made more impact if shared with states. The money is enough to run the Universal Basic Education budget for four years,” Bago said.
The governor who was in company of some dignitaries from his state disclosed that Niger state lost 6 pilgrims to ill health and heatwaves. He also called on the national assembly to review the operations of the NAHCOM and suggested Hajj operations should be a state and local government affair.
“Let the private sector drive Hajj operations; NAHCON should be a regulator at the centre. If NAHCON must exist, then it should strictly be a regulator. I am leading a committee of Governors to the NGF, from there we go to the NEC, I will propose this motion, and we will send a bill to the National Assembly where this issue of NAHCON would be reviewed.
“NAHCON is not helping matters. Our Federal Government is too big to be worried about Hajj operations; these are supposed to be local government issues and not even state issues. The state government should be able to organize pilgrimage and get agents from the private sector who will do these things the best way as other countries are doing it.”
