2006 Hajj In Turmoil: Favoritism Prevalent At NAHCON – Source

By Our Correspondent

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) may be embroidered in serious controversies capable of disallowing this year’s Hajj operation, a highly placed officer of the commission who volunteered information on condition of anonymity has revealed.

Impeccable inside sources show that the common stand adopted by all the States Pilgrims Boards throughout the Northern Region of the country insisting not to remit any money to NAHCON for this year’s Hajj unless the present Board is dissolved due to high level misappropriation on the part of the Chairman/CEO, Prof. Abdullahi Usman Pakistan, Commissioner, PPMF Abdulrasaq Aliyu, commissioner PRESILS, Prof. Abubakar Yagwal and the defacto, Chairman Alufi Elegusi who has tribalised NAHCON through his overbearing influence on the Chairman, through intimidation and blackmail, claiming to be a Lagos man close to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the First Lady as well.

ORCHESTRATED, LOPSIDED STAFF POSTINGS
The Commissioner, Operations on the 9th of September 2025 influenced the Chairman/CEO to make some inappropriate postings of Staffs of yoruba extraction only, our source revealed:

1) Director of Administration and Human Resources (Alidu Hutti) against a most qualified Ibrahem Mohammed who’s letter of appointment to the position was withdrawn not quite long after being appointed.

2) Mr. Abdul Oloyin, appointed as Head of Training and also as Special Assistant to the Chairman/CEO, in preference to a senior Director, Hajia Bilkisu Awah.

3) Head, Legal, Aliyu Abdulmunin, also appointment and the substantive Head while (Barrister Nura Mohammed) got transfered to Maiduguri Zonal Office.

4) Alhaji Gowon, was appointed as Head of Maintenance of the Commission, removing Mallam Lawal Idris.

5) The present Director, Procurement also removed to give way to a level 12 officer transferred from Ilorin Zonal Office.

All the reassigned and appointed by NAHCON hailed from a particular region, while some very senior level management staff were reassigned across Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto and Abuja Zonal Offices without sending or posting any staff to the South-West Zonal Office.

All these postings, according to our source, were allegedly as carefully planned by the Commissioner, Operations with a view to becoming the Commission’s Chairman/CEO, following two different petitions against the incumbent Chairman/CEO.

The source insisted that the aforementioned Commissioners were part of the old brigade during the last dispensation but were spared due to what our source alleged as “Lagos connection”.

“In the light of the foregoing, it would not be out of place to urge stakeholders in the system, especially States Boards not to remit a dime to NAHCON until there’s fairplay and normalcy restored. How can a particular region whose contribution and participation has been insignificant come and have overbearing influence in the system? It’s not done,” the source queried.

The sourcefurther called on His Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto, the Emirs and the Northern Governors and other stakeholders to intervene should they expect a successful 2026 Hajj operation. “Because as it is now, some of the Commissioners (names withheld) are reporting daily to both EFCC, ICPC and other security agencies in connection with refund of funds allegedly misappropriated.

“We therefore call on Mr. President and commander in chief and the National Assembly to salvage the situation for the sake of Allah by putting an end to this act of sacrilege,”