The National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) on Sunday expressed disappointment with some state pilgrims boards over allegation against the commission that it failed to remit Hajj Saving Scheme enrollees’ funds to states, thus their refusal to allocate slots to intending pilgrims on the scheme for this year’s Hajj.
Refuting the allegation in a statement signed by NAHCON Deputy Director, Information and Publication, Mousa Ubandawaki, made available to Tribune Online, the commission described the allegation against it and Jaiz Bank as “baseless and unfounded”.
The commission stated that it had previously agreed with the state boards that the allocation to pilgrims should be in the ratio of 60/40 percent to pilgrims under state boards and the Hajj Savings Scheme subscribers.
According to Ubandawaki, “The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) expresses profound disappointment over the alleged refusal to allocate slots to intending pilgrims who enrolled through the Hajj Saving Scheme (HSS) and have consequently faced inconveniences in certain states such as Kaduna, the FCT, Gombe and Jigawa.
“These states have attributed their actions to NAHCON/Jaiz Bank’s purported failure to timely remit the funds to the respective State Boards.
“We categorically state that such excuses are baseless and unfounded. It is pertinent to clarify that Jaiz Bank promptly remitted the HSS fares to the states well in advance of this year’s Hajj. This was even before many state pilgrim boards remitted their payment.
“Secondly, in our numerous consultations with the officials of the States Pilgrims Welfare Boards/Agencies/ Commissions it was resolved that the allocation to pilgrims should be in the ratio of 60/40 percent to pilgrims under State Boards and the Hajj Savings Scheme subscribers.
“So it is expected that the Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Board should have reserved 40 percent which is 2,000 of the allocation to the HSS.
“Even at this, only 108 of the 2000 expected enrolled, via the HSS in Kaduna State out of the 6,255 allocated to them.”
He submitted that what was playing out lately was that some states had been doing everything to consistently undermine NAHCON and the Hajj Saving Scheme in many ways.
“While the Commission has continued to show patience and understanding with them obvious of the fact that a new scheme or policy takes time before it bears positive fruits, unfortunately, this is not the case with some states who have continuously strove to defame and blackmail the Commission in their contempt for the board and some of its policies.
“Therefore, we want to emphasize that the information disseminated by the Kaduna State Pilgrims Board and some others is not only false but also malicious and intended to vilify and blackmail the commission with a view to damaging its integrity,” the statement read in part.
While thanking the numerous subscribers on the HSS for their faith and trust in the scheme, NAHCON appeals to those who have been unjustly denied the opportunity by the various pilgrims boards to remain calm and abide by the law.
It further stated that, “the commission is working hard to deal appropriately with the issue and also bring to book those who are bent on undermining our policies or involved in denying them the rights to participate in the religious rites of Hajj.”
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