The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Saleh Usman, has strongly denied allegations that he crippled the operations of the Commission’s Board, insisting that all members are accorded their entitlements in accordance with official rules.
In a personally signed statement, Usman said it had become necessary to address the complaints raised by some non-executive board members of the Commission.
He stated: “Some of the claims include non-inclusion in procurement activities, purchase of official vehicles for non-executive members, denial of access to my office, refusal to attend to them, non-payment of board members’ entitlements/allowances, and the role and status of non-executive board members.”
Responding to these claims, the NAHCON Chair explained that, by virtue of their positions, non-executive board members have no statutory role in procurement or administrative activities, either under the Public Procurement Act or the NAHCON Establishment Act.
Quoting Rule 2 of the NAHCON Act, he said:
“The Act clearly stipulates that the Chairman and three full members of the Commission shall serve on a full-time basis. The remaining six members, at least two of whom should be women, shall serve on a part-time basis.”
On the specific allegation by the North-East representative, Abba Jato, whom he described as “honourable and humble,” the Chairman said: “Before I became Chairman, it was tradition to include two non-executive members in pre-Hajj visits. During our first pre-Hajj visit under my leadership, Hajia Aisha Obi (South East) and Alhaji Abba Jato (North East) were both nominated and fully participated. All their entitlements—including air tickets, visa, estacode, telephone and local transport—were fully paid.”
He emphasized that records of all payments are available at the Commission and denied that any board member ever had to sponsor themselves or was excluded from offshore activities, contrary to claims by Jato.
Usman also revealed that during the last Ramadan Umrah monitoring exercise, two other non-executive members—Tajudeen Agbafe (South West) and Muhammad Bin Usman (North West)—were nominated and fully paid their entitlements.
On the claim regarding the provision of official vehicles for non-executive members, he clarified: “There is no provision in the NAHCON Act, nor any administrative approval, that supports this claim. The Commission has never provided official vehicles to non-executive members.”
Refuting the claim that he denied members access to his office, he said: “I operate an open-door policy for all board members, staff, stakeholders, and official visitors.
“In fact, Aisha Obi has been a constant presence in my office, sometimes even staying long after official matters were concluded.
“Tajudeen Agbafe is also a regular visitor, and I have always given him attention on the issues he raises.”
On alleged non-payment of members’ allowances, Usman said: “To the best of my knowledge, no member has been denied any sitting, travel, or estacode allowance. If any oversight occurred, it was never brought to my attention.”
He expressed disappointment that the members did not formally report their grievances to him before going public.
“As Chairman and CEO, I deserve to be informed of such issues so I can take appropriate action. Unfortunately, it now appears that these allegations are meant to distract the Commission and sabotage the 2025 Hajj preparations,” he said.
He urged all board members, executive and non-executive as well as NAHCON staff, state Muslim pilgrims’ welfare boards, private operators, and stakeholders to unite as one NAHCON family and work together for a successful Hajj operation.
Saleh Usman commended President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima for their trust in him and for their efforts toward ensuring a hitch-free 2025 Hajj.
He assured them that the upcoming pilgrimage would be one of the most successful Nigeria has ever witnessed.
