Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Malam Jalal Ahmad Arabi, has said the commission used the N90 billion subsidy from the federal government to bridge the 2024 hajj fares payment gaps for pilgrims.
Several stakeholders, including some state governors, have expressed concerns about the NAHCON leadership’s use of the subsidy for the 2024 Hajj.
The House of Representatives has set up a committee headed by Hon. Sada Soli from Katsina to probe the Hajj commission’s performance during the pilgrimage.
But Arabi, in a report in premiumtimesng.com, said his commission used the N90 billion to bridge the payment gaps for Hajj fares owed by pilgrims.
He said, “The federal government granted us a N90 billion subsidy, which we carefully utilised to address the unprecedented increase in hajj costs.
“The high dollar exchange rate caused the cost per seat to surge above N9 million, necessitating our intervention to mitigate the burden on pilgrims.
“To address the issue, we convened a meeting with representatives from all states to discuss the matter. We then compiled a list of intending pilgrims who had already paid the approved N8 million.
“Subsequently, we supplemented the remaining N1.3 million for each of the over 50,000 pilgrims to complete the payment, ensuring that their Hajj journey was not disrupted,” he said.
Arabi explained that while the commission exercised prudent financial management, scrutinising every expenditure, it remained steadfast in providing the highest quality services for pilgrims, sparing no effort to ensure their comfort and well-being.
He said unlike other commissions in Nigeria, NAHCON does not receive regular subventions from the federal government, either monthly or annually, to fund its operations.
“Despite not receiving regular subventions from the federal government, either monthly or yearly, apart from salary allocations, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria strives to deliver exceptional services to all, maximising its resources to provide the best possible experience,” Arabi said