BACKGROUND

Systematically, structural decentralisation of the management of affairs affecting the lives of people guarantees judicious allocation and management of resources.

This is to aid effectual service delivery that ensures that the citizenry enjoys provisions from the government without any discrimination or prejudice of any sort.

Among sectors where calls have been made on successive Nigerian governments to consider decentralisation of operations and devolution of powers are those of internal security (state policing) and resource control.

Matters of internal security and resource control touch on lives of the masses directly; irrespective of tribe, religion or class. Besides, there are also other areas of exigencies when it comes to devolution of power and management controls.

For instance, just like the Land Use Act, there have been calls for the searchlight to be beamed into the operations of the funding of the activities of the Pilgrimage Welfare Bodies by both the federal and state governments.

The need for decentralisation has once again been projected through calls for a probe into the N90 billion Federal Government subvention for the just-concluded Hajj 2024.

The National Hajj Commission (NAHCON), the body entrusted with the management of the processes and resources on the exercise, has been blamed for inadequacies and deaths of some faithful in this year’s exercise.

Functions

NAHCON and the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) are the two bodies sponsored by the government and saddled with the responsibility of providing a conducive environment for the smooth airlifting of pilgrims to the holy sites in the Middle East that are both dear to Christians and Muslims and ensuring enhanced welfare of faith sojourners.

They are also to among other functions supervise any interested body or organisation for the purposes of religious pilgrimages to holy sites globally.

Through them, billions of naira is earmarked yearly from government coffers for smooth operations and successful pilgrimages for the participating faithful. With over 50, 000 participants going for the 2024 annual Hajj exercise, the country is estimated to have spent a sum in excess of N340 billion.

Over the years, the government has played deaf ears to calls for the discontinuation of payment of subsidies for pilgrimages just like it did in May last year with the removal of subsidies on petrol.

Various reasons, including a comparison between the amount earmarked for the National Student Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the billions earmarked for the annual religious rituals, are advanced for the FG to prioritise other “more important” sectors of need, have proven to be less potent in prompting a shift.

Revelations from the just concluded 2024 Hajj have once again placed NAHCON on the spotlight, with calls have been made for the application of the principles of devolution of powers and operations concerning pilgrimages.

For instance, an estimated N90 billion was allocated by the FG for the 2024 edition, in which a number of Nigerian pilgrims were amongst the over 1300 pilgrims who lost their lives in the Holy Land due to the excessive heat wave that enveloped the region at that time.

Expectedly, upon failure of the body to deliver a satisfactory Hajj process, calls are being made on the body and the Federal Government to fashion out better ways of managing pilgrimages going forward.

Mixed feelings

While the Lagos State Government expressed dissatisfaction over issues around feeding and accommodation arrangements accorded participants from the six southwest states, the Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, called for the outright devolution of powers of NAHCON’s leadership under its Chief Executive Officer/Chairman, Malam Jalal Ahmad Arabi.

Reacting to the dissatisfactory arrangement by NAHCON in the just concluded Islamic ritual, the governor declared his intention to lead the effort to abolish NAHCON.

As deciphered from the governor’s condemnation of NAHCON, inefficacies of the body have no respect for class, status or age. The aged, young, poor, affluent and national figures were embarrassed by the failure to receive adequate care while serving their God.

Bago, a former member of the House Representatives, vowed to use the platform of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum to push for the scrapping of NAHCON. “As a state governor, I want to lead a committee of the governors and the NGF to scrap NAHCON. NAHCON is not helping matters,” he disclosed.

Speaking further he said: “Can you imagine governors of Nigeria, the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, paying to NAHCON and having no place to sleep and being embarrassed?” In Bago’s opinion, the issue of pilgrimage management is an avoidable distraction that the Federal Government can do without. Funds allocated for the recently ended edition should also be probed, he said.

He also noted that NAHCON, as a government agency ought to be regulators and not operators in the faith sector; insisting: “Government has no business in the business.” The governor said devolution of powers to operate pilgrim management to sub-nationals is the way to go; if the government would derive its intended utility from the huge costs annually on the exercises.

Challenges

However, feelers from Lagos appear to be on the contrary and do not appear to be pushing for the scrapping of NAHCON, though the state government noted inadequacies and blamed the body.

Speaking from Al Saad Flower Hotel 2, Misfalah, Makkah, Saudi Arabia during the week, leader of the Lagos contingent to the annual Islamic ritual and Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ibrahim Layode, said: “We had a lot of challenges and most of them are from NAHCON.

The caterer selected to provide meals for the state’s pilgrims was using his own discretion to select a menu that was not favourable to the people of the South West.

“Even the accommodation provided for Lagos pilgrims in Makkah was ‘not up to the Lagos’ standard.” However, despite noting that there were issues in Makkah and blaming NAHCON for them, Layode disagreed with the call for the scrapping of the body.

“You can’t throw away the baby with the bath water,” he said while calling on stakeholders, particularly, the Arab-led body, to address its shortcomings going forward.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), an umbrella body of students in tertiary institutions across the country, also joined in calling for a probe into the N90 billion Federal Government subsidies for this year’s Hajj.

In a statement released recently, NANS noted: “The fact that pilgrims were given only $400 to sustain themselves for approximately 40 days, despite each pilgrim paying N8 million, highlights the severe mismanagement within NAHCON.”

“This misallocation of resources,” NANS further noted: “Has led to unnecessary hardships for many Nigerian pilgrims and raises serious questions about the operational efficiency and accountability of NAHCON.”

The body then called on the National Assembly to probe the N90 billion subsidy paid for the Hajj operations. “There is an urgent need for transparency and accountability in how these funds are managed,” it noted.

NAHCON’s position

But while acknowledging the challenges faced in this year’s exercise, NAHCON said it also deserved commendation and not the barrage of criticisms that has trailed its handling of the affairs.

“Despite the 95 per cent success recorded in the movement to Muna, Arafat and their corresponding feeding and tents arrangement, NAHCON noticed some not so pleasant occurrences,” the body said in a statement on its website.

For instance, the Commission celebrated a hitch free visa application and issuance in the latest efforts. It also cited seamless registration processes as areas where there has been improvement, while stressing that each pilgrimage comes with its issues.

However, it is unarguable that NAHCON needs some re-engineering, in order to deliver on its mandate, if the federal government must retain the body