Niger State governor, Umar Bago, has called on the National Assembly to probe the N90 billion the Federal Government gave to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) as subsidy
for the 2024 Hajj Operations.

Bago said there is need for the National Assembly to probe these funds because NAHCON has no business with the chartering of flights, adding that it is not the business of the agency to feed the pilgrims.

“For example, I am from Niger State, if you allow me to feed pilgrims, I will be able to trans-ship foods that people are locally used to, to Saudi Arabia to feed my own pilgrims,” he said.

“I will be able to get a kitchen that will feed my pilgrims from what they are used to, not to come and give them slice of bread or boiled egg and people are starving.

“We have different cultures, you cannot force the Arabian Cuisine on our people and that is why they are falling sick.”

According to Bago, the private sector should be allowed to drive Hajj operations, the government should be a regulator while NAHCON should be a regulator at the centre.

He argued that if NAHCON must exist, then they should strictly be a regulator but “as I have told you, I am leading the committees of Governors to the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) and from there, we will go to the NEC.

“I will propose this motion, and we will send a bill to the National Assembly where issues of this NAHCON should be reviewed.

“People paid N8 million for these operations directly before even the subsidy and they got only $400, this is ridiculous.

“What is $400? Somebody paid N8 million to you, NAHCON and you come and give them stipend of $400 to run themselves for one month?”

According to the governor, there is simply no reason why Hajj operations should last beyond two weeks.

“You bring pilgrims for 40 days, you leave them here, some 45 days, it is ridiculous, because of racketeering in airlifting, in handling of cargo and other things,” he lamented.

Bago said that NAHCON is not helping matters and that the Federal Government is too big to be worried about Hajj operations.

He pointed out that these are supposed to be Local Government issues and not even State issues.

“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,” Bago said.