Abdulwahab Isa 
- NAHCON refutes allegations
The Association for Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHUON) has called on leadership of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), to desist from chasing shadows and address critical issues about N15 billion of its funds trapped in the Commission’s custody.
AHUON National President , Abdulateef Ekundayo Yusuf in a follow up press briefing in Abuja on lingering issues between it and NAHCON on Hajj conduct urged the Commission to tackle issues it raised rather than passing judgement on who performs Hajj 2025 and who will not perform.
Ekundayo Yusuf disclosed that, several funds belonging to AHUON were trapped with NAHCON and CBN without disbursement to the operators who the funds released by Saudi authorities since December 2023.
He claimed NAHCON was owing AHUON members over N15 Billion. “As it was the practice of the Saudi government after each Hajj operation to refund money to Countries on three grounds, namely: for services paid by pilgrims but not rendered; services paid for but poorly rendered to the agreed standard, number; and tent security deposits”
“Our members are owed all these categories of money from 2022 Hajj to date by the commission. They confirmed in our meeting with them that they have received the sum of 20,000,000. SR (Twenty Million Saudi Riyals) of such refund from the Saudi authority since December last year, but they are yet to formally notify us talk less of agreeing on the modalities of the refund payment.
“Even this 20,000,000.00.SR if not for the investigation EFCC conducted on the Commission, we wouldn’t have known that it has been paid since December, 2023, we only got to know through media reports, before they now confirmed to us at our last meeting.
What stopped them from calling the Tour Operators since December 2023 to come forward to claim their money? They kept quiet. “Last Hajj operation NAHCON has received and warehoused over N2.7 Billion as caution deposit from our members.
By our agreement with the Commission, the funds was to be released two weeks after the conclusion of the Hajj. NAHCON has refuse to refund any of the companies that applied for it, instead they are asking for more money as an increase to last year’s deposit,” he said.
He also said,”From the year 2004 to date the Commission has attested to have held our members funds through several engagements example unused visa, excess payments, Umrah deposit etc., and have not shown any sign of refunding such funds.
In fact, our agreement with the Commission to publish the list of the companies under this category since last year have not been met.
It is worth noting that many of our members have passed on waiting for these refunds. “In addition, to the above, for many years now some of our members have millions of Saudi Riyals balances in their Saudi accounts (IBAN), which they can’t access.
For over three years now we have engaged the Commission to facilitate the release of those funds to our members, but it refuses to do anything about the issue.”
The AHUON therefore requests the Commission to accept Bank guarantee which their Acts permits, in place of cash deposit considering the perennial challenges they have been facing with refund.
