The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, has refuted claims of non-inclusion in the running of affairs in the commission levelled by non-executive board members.

Besides, the NAHCON boss revealed that the management entrusted with the routine operations of the commission has never denied the part-time members any entitlements, contrary to their claims.

The rebuttal follows a petition which was jointly signed by the six non-executive board members of the commission to the Vice President, Kashim Shettima.

In the petition, the non-executive members drawn from the six geo-political zones of the country accused the Professor Usman-led board of denying them allowances, non-inclusion in procurement processes, and non-purchase of official vehicles, among other complaints.

Responding to the allegations in the petition, Professor Usman insisted there is no iota of truth in all the claims put against the commission, citing cases and occasions where members were accorded responsibilities with full financial backing.

In a statement personally signed and made available to The Guardian, Professor Usman said it is imperative for him to clear allegations and complaints by some non-executive board members of the commission against him.

According to him, some of the claims include the non-inclusion in procurement activities, purchase of official vehicles for non-executive members, not getting access to my office by these non-executive members or deliberate refusal to attend to them, non-payment of board members’ entitlements/allowances, the role and status of non-executive board members.
He added, “On procurement, it is imperative to note that by virtue of their position, these non-executive board members have no specific role in the Procurement Act or NAHCON Act, particularly in procurement and administrative activities.
“According to the provision of Rule 2 of the NAHCON Act, it clearly stipulates the status and function of all members of the board. It says 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 said the claim of the board member representing Northeast, Alh. Abba Jato is also baseless.

He said, “Before my coming to the commission as the Chairman, it was the tradition to take two members of these non-executive board members to participate in the pre-visit contingent.

“Therefore, during the commission’s first pre-Hajj visit to the KSA under my leadership, two (2) of these non-executive members, namely: Haj. Aisha Obi, a representative of the South East, and Alh. Abba Jato, a representative of the North East, were nominated to participate, and they actively participated in all the pre-visit exercises. They were also fully paid all their travelling allowances, which include air tickets, visa, estacode, and telephone & local transport.”

He said these records are available in the commission. Therefore, there was never any time a board member was co-opted at the Kingdom to partake in any of the offshore activities or sponsored himself/herself for any pre-Hajj visit, as claimed by Alh. Abba Jato.

“In the same vein, during the last Ramadan Umrah Monitoring exercise, two (2) other non-executive members were equally nominated to partake in the exercise. They are: Dr. Tajuddeen Agbafe, a representative of the South West, and Sheykh Muhammad Bin Usman, a representative of the North West, and they were fully paid all their entitlements.”

“On the claim that non-executive board members were not given official vehicles,” he clarified, “it is important to mention that there is no provision in the NAHCON Act or any other provision or approval that supports this claim, and the commission has never bought any such vehicles for any member in the past.

“Also, on the claim that non-executive members could not access entry into the Chairman’s office—it is not true. It is a well-known fact that, since I assumed office, I operate an open-door policy, not only for the board members but for all the staff of the commission, all stakeholders, and even official visitors. In fact, it was a big surprise to me to hear this allegation, particularly from Mrs. A’isha Obi, a representative of the South East Zone.

“This member was to some extent recognised as part of the staff of my office because of her frequent presence in the domain of the office. Most times, she spent hours inside my office even after we had exhausted the official matters she brought.”

“Similarly, Dr. Tajuddeen Agbafe, a member representing the South West, is also a familiar face in my office. He equally brings issues, and I always gave him all the necessary attention. Another baseless claim by these members is that of non-payment of the members’ entitlements.

“This allegation is also purported, because to the best of my knowledge, there is no member that was denied any of his or her entitlements, either sitting, travelling, or estacode allowances, and if there was any such oversight, it was never brought to my desk for my attention.”

The Chairman expressed displeasure with the behaviour and manner of some of the non-executive members for their deliberate inability to report or even advise him on any of these allegations.

“As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the commission, I think I deserve to be informed on any of the above-mentioned claims, to enable me to take appropriate action accordingly,” he said. “However, to me, I now feel that those who are perpetrating all these allegations have no other motive than to distract the attention of the commission in order to sabotage the already planned 2025 Hajj operation.”

He called on all executive and non-executive members of the board, all members of NAHCON staff, state executives of Muslims 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 in order to have a successful and hitch-free Hajj operation.

Professor Usman commended President Bola Tinubu and his Vice President, Kashim Shettima, for their belief in him and also their efforts in ensuring a 2025 hitch-free Hajj operation.

He assured the President and his Vice President that the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage would be one of the best the country would be proud of.