President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday directed that all corrupt activities that have been characterising hajj operations in the country must end immediately.
Buhari handed down the directive to the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, Alhaji Abdullahi Mukhtar, during a closed-door meeting he had with him inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Mukhtar briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the meeting.
He said the President, during the meeting, granted all the requests from the commission on preparations for the 2015 Muslim pilgrimage.
He said, “I met Mr. President and I am pleased to tell Nigerians that he has granted all the requests from the National Hajj Commission with regards to the preparations for 2015 hajj.
“The President had also directed for inter-agency collaboration between the commission and all other relevant agencies to address the challenges and menace of corrupt-related practices that have to do with hajj and umrah.
“Thus, we will face the menace head on until we bring it to a standstill.
“He has also approved the 2015 air carriers that are going to airlift pilgrims. The list will be sent down to the states accordingly for them to select the airlines of their choice.”
He said with his meeting with the President, preparation for the 2015 hajj had reached its climax.
Mukhtar added that the President also directed that the commission should comply with all regulations laid out by Saudi Arabian government to ensure the success of 2015 hajj.
When asked to identify the corrupt activities that the President frowned at, he cited cases of people who pay for services that were not rendered.
“Well there are many of the corrupt practices. For instance, people pay for services, which are in some cases not rendered.
“In some cases, even they do not have the chance to perform the hajj or umrah at all, their money is gone.
“Illegal operators that are not licensed to carry out the activities of either umrah or hajj still play around and carry out the activities with impunity, so all these will be addressed,” he added.
Mukhtar said the number of pilgrims for this year’s exercise remained 66,000 under the states and 10,000 under the private tour operations.
He added that his management was working hard towards the independence of the commission.
He said the exercise needed a time lag for the independence to be achieved.
On the budget for this this year’s exercise, Mukhtar said the Federal Government normally takes responsibility for providing medicals, security services, as well as consular services of the Nigerian pilgrims and that is exactly what the government will do this year.
He said the President had also directed that the commission should release the fare immediately and he would do that without further delay. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
Why must Nigetian money meant for u abd me be used to send government officials for pilgrimage, even in the middle east gcc countries who are muslim countries don't use government or public funds for pilgrimage. So Mr. President the act of granting pilgrimage rewuest itself is act of curruption and corrupt practice which is not good for our nation, either christian or muslim pilgrimage. Its a wrong ideology you people have been practicing and you want to wipe out curruption, you guys need to stop fulling youselves, and put away this mentality of the old using religion and echnicity to justify millions of useless practices.
ReplyDeleteU have spoken really well, Pilgrimage was not be sponsored by the FG. The board may exist as an Institution were people who want to travel contribute monthly from their earning and the board uses its gov't status to secure visa and arrange discounted offers from airline. The FG should desist from sponsoring since it is for only a selected few.
DeleteNeither the federal nor the state governments should sponsor anyone to Mecca or Jerusalem. if anyone wants to go on a hajj or whatever, let them go on their own. Look at how much money we dump on Saudi Arabia every year, yet they have no regard or respect for us. May this nonsense please stop!
ReplyDeleteHmmmmmmmmmmmm,,change ..change ,,,, Nigeria people will see the change the trusted from buhari and APC,, what is happening in Kano for sundays sanitation ??
ReplyDeleteHmmmmmmmmmmmm,,change ..change ,,,, Nigeria people will see the change the trusted from buhari and APC,, what is happening in Kano for sundays sanitation ??
ReplyDeleteMR CHANGE, are you not suppose to change or stop this kind of practice. There is no money to pay workers salary, but we have money to sponsor pilgrims to Mecca and Jerusalem. Meanwhile their religious leaders are owning private jets, but still waiting to be sponsored by the federal government to Mecca and Jerusalem
ReplyDelete