Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, revealed that the state spent N3.1 billion to sponsor 300 pilgrims for the 2024 Hajj, expressing frustration over the poor treatment of pilgrims despite the substantial costs.
In an interview conducted in Hausa from Saudi Arabia, the governor stated that N2.1 billion was spent on Hajj fees, while N1 billion was allocated for Hadayah for the state’s pilgrims.
He explained that the significant expenditure aimed to clear the backlog of pilgrims who were unable to attend the Hajj with their peers last year.
“When we came into government, we realised that there was a backlog of pilgrims from last year, those who could not make it to attend with their peers last year were about 300. We paid it off for them completely. We spent about N2.1 billion for that and after, we spent N1 billion as Hadayah for Niger state pilgrims”, he stated.
Speaking about the welfare of the pilgrims in the Holy Land, the Governor stated that the pilgrims were poorly treated despite paying huge amount of money for Hajj fees dding that the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) performance fell short of expectations.
He questioned how NAHCON expended the monies it collected as Hajj fees and the money allocated to them by the Presidency saying that he will encourage other governors to sign a letter that will be sent to the lawmakers to amend the NAHCON bill.
“In my position as the Governor of Niger State, I won’t allow my Pilgrims to be cheated. We will go to the Legislators over how our pilgrims are treated poorly despite the huge money they paid. There is no northern governor who has not spent between N3 billion to N5 billion for pilgrims to be accorded comfort but what did we get?
“We are calling for a change in the way pilgrims are treated. They end up embarrassed, spending 40 days sometimes, for what reason when they should spend just two weeks? In small countries such as Chad, Niger and others, you will see their pilgrims being treated with honour.
“If we go back, I’ll encourage Governors to sign that letter which will be sent to the lawmakers to amend the NAHCON bill. I am a former Lawmaker but we must halt these shortcomings from NAHCON, it has done its last by God’s grace.
“The Embassy in Saudi Arabia should do its job while NAHCON should do its job. NAHCON is a commission for pilgrims, its duty is supervisory, not taking on the responsibility of scouting for accommodation or feeding arrangements. That is why there is a lot of corruption there”, he lamented.
Bago further advocated that the welfare and responsibility of the pilgrims should be given states to handle as states can do it better than what NAHCON is currently doing.
“The president gave trillions of Naira to NAHCON, had they given this to states, our pilgrims would have enjoyed far more than what they have been given. We do not even know where these monies are. How much was given to pilgrims, just $400, so how will someone who paid N8 million and be given just $400 for upkeep? We must investigate this.
“We desire that by next year, the states will take responsibility from NAHCON so the pilgrims can have a stress-free pilgrimage. NAHCON doesn’t have the mandate to talk about feeding, accommodation or transportation. All these are marketing strategies and we will stop it, or even speak with a loud voice to the National Assembly to remove the bill which created NAHCON in the first instance”, he declared.
The governor further stated that if it takes the government to fund 100 people from the state to Hajj and they would be given the needed comfort, that would be done stressing that the government will not be fazed to spend money to make its pilgrims comfortable.
“Allow state governments to seek out the services of global firms that will cater properly for their pilgrims. As for me in Niger State, if only 100 people will come for Hajj next year, so be it but we will not leave them on the streets like animals.”
