Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State criticized the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for the alleged poor treatment of Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
Bago in a series of posts via X, accused the commission of failing to provide adequate food for the pilgrims, leading to illness among some of them.
“NAHCON has no business in chartering flights; it is not their business to feed the pilgrims because of the food,” Bago stated.
“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. 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 slices of bread or boiled egg and people are starving.”
The governor emphasized the cultural differences, noting that forcing Arabian cuisine on Nigerian pilgrims is causing health issues.
“We have different cultures; you cannot force the Arabian cuisine on our people and that is why they are falling sick,” he said.
Bago argued that the private sector should drive the operations of pilgrimage, with NAHCON acting strictly as a regulator.
“If NAHCON must exist, then they should strictly be a regulator. But as I have told you, I am leading committees 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 issues of this NAHCON should be reviewed,” he said.
The governor also expressed his dissatisfaction with the financial management of the pilgrimage. He noted that pilgrims received only $400 after subsidies were paid by the federal government.
“What is $400? Somebody paid N8 million to you, NAHCON, and you come and give them a stipend of $400 to run themselves for 1 month? There is no reason why Hajj operations should last beyond 2 weeks,” Bago said.
“You bring pilgrims for 40 days; you leave them here, some 45 days, it’s ridiculous, because of racketeering in airlifting, in handling of cargo and other things.”
Bago concluded that the federal government is “too big to be worried” about Hajj operations, asserting that it should be the responsibility of the local governments.
