The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has strongly refuted recent media reports alleging that it spent over N1.64 billion on the sponsorship of staff spouses during the 2025 Hajj exercise, describing the claim as false, misleading, and a calculated attempt to smear the image of the Commission and its leadership.
According to the report, NAHCON Chairman Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman allegedly lodged at the Hilton Makkah Suites at $1,000 per night and traveled with 12 family members—all purportedly at government expense. However, NAHCON has dismissed these allegations as completely unfounded, asserting that neither the chairman nor any staff received public funds to sponsor family members.
“There is no policy within NAHCON that provides government funding for the travel or welfare of staff spouses,” a Commission official clarified. “The only provision that exists is a welfare arrangement allowing staff on long deployment in Saudi Arabia to personally sponsor their spouses—strictly at their own cost and under a special discounted arrangement approved by the Board.”
The Commission explained that this package excludes major components like Makkah accommodation, feeding, Basic Travel Allowance (BTA), and transportation, which staff must cover themselves from their estacodes or personal funds. NAHCON insists it does not, and has never, budgeted or paid for these excluded services on behalf of any spouse.
Such welfare provisions, the Commission noted, are not unique to NAHCON. Federal institutions including the NNPC, CBN, FIRS, and the Foreign Service have similar support frameworks aimed at boosting staff morale during long postings or national assignments. NAHCON’s system, officials emphasized, aligns with established administrative standards.
The cost analysis used in the viral report was also criticized as speculative and misleading. NAHCON pointed out that spousal sponsorship is optional and varies by individual capacity. In several cases, spouses funded their own pilgrimage independently or in partnership with their deployed spouses. The Commission also reaffirmed that it neither conceals the limited nature of the package nor misleads any participant.
On the more sensational claim that the Chairman stayed at Hilton Makkah Suites at $1,000 per night and traveled with 12 family members, the Commission categorically stated there is no record—financial or administrative—to support such claims. It further confirmed that no family member of the Chairman was appointed to any official committee or accommodated by the Commission.
NAHCON also dismissed claims that staff spouses took over pilgrims' accommodations as false. All room allocations, it said, are carefully managed in line with operational planning, and any infractions are promptly addressed by a dedicated monitoring team.
While the Commission acknowledges that calls for financial scrutiny are within the rights of stakeholders, it stressed that such concerns must be grounded in truth. “NAHCON undergoes statutory audits by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation and has always complied with financial regulations,” a statement read.
In a commentary from Hajj 2025 pilgrim, Alhaji Mubarak Oyewale of Ilorin, the circulating report was described as an attempt to sabotage the successes recorded during this year’s pilgrimage. “It’s clear some people are uncomfortable with NAHCON’s achievements and are bent on discrediting its leadership,” he said.
Despite the controversy, NAHCON reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to transparency, ethical conduct, and service to Nigerian pilgrims, urging the public to disregard unsubstantiated allegations and remain confident in the Commission’s integrity.
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