President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Prof. Abdullahi Usman as the Executive Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
This appointment is pending confirmation by the Senate, according to Chief Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity.
In his statement on Monday (yesterday, August 19), Ngelale emphasized the President’s expectations for the new Chairman to carry out his responsibilities with integrity, transparency and a deep commitment to the nation.
Prof. Usman brings to the role a strong academic background, having studied at two prestigious Islamic institutions: the University of Madinah in Saudi Arabia and Peshawar University in Pakistan. He previously served as the Chairman of the Kano State Pilgrims Board.
This appointment follows the detention of the former Chairman, Jalal Arabi, and the Secretary, Abdullahi Kontagora, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
They are being investigated in connection with the mismanagement of N90 billion allocated by the federal government for the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage.
The EFCC revealed that they recovered a total of SR314,098 (over N120 million) from Arabi and other senior officials of NAHCON, accusing them of fraudulent overpayments.
According to the EFCC, Arabi paid himself SR50,000, despite being entitled to only SR15,929.
Similarly, three commissioners, who were supposed to receive SR15,929 each, were paid SR40,000 each.
The Secretary received SR30,000 instead of the entitled SR14,336, and the Directors/Chief of Staff were given SR30,000, far exceeding the SR2,550 they were supposed to get.
This financial mismanagement is believed to have contributed to the current crisis within the commission, leading to President Tinubu’s decision to appoint a new chairman.
