THE Chairman/CEO of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman (Pakistan) has finally bowed to pressure by expelling his biological brother Sirajo Salisu Usman, nephew Abdulmalik Diggi, and 24 other seconded civil servants from the commission.
Sirajo and Diggi and the 24 other pool staff members in the commission were posted back to their various ministries, departments and agencies.
Mr Diggi, a deputy director (accounts) and special adviser (general services) to the C/CEO, is popularly known as ‘ka fi chairman,’ meaning ‘de facto chairman.’ Mr Diggi is the chairman’s nephew.
While Mr Pakistan’s biological brother, Sirajo Usman Salisu, who until three days ago, served as deputy director (C/CEO).
This was announced by NAHCON spokesperson Fatima Usara in a statement on Friday.
This is coming after months of pressure mounted by the Hajj commission workers that included a petition written to the board, the vice president, and subsequently a directive by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The chairman, it was learnt, was the one foot dragging in implementing the VP’s directive all this time.
The statement titled, “Minor Shake-up in NAHCON; Board Approves Reforms,” was following the resolution of the commission’s board at its 14th sitting held between 26 and 27 August 2025.
“Hence, in line with the Board’s resolve, the Commission’s executive arm has effected the reposting of pool officers back to their respective Ministries, Departments and Agencies with immediate effect.
“Accordingly, the affected officers were issued with letters on Thursday 4th September, 2025.
“The Board’s decision was taken primarily to eliminate redundancy and reposition the Commission for enhanced effective and efficient service delivery. This step was also taken to motivate staff towards higher performance,” the NAHCON statement said.
This newspaper reports that on
March 3, 2025, the workers at the Hajj commission had threatened to shutdown NAHCON over alleged financial recklessness, favoritism, unjust placement of seconded officers over the commission workers, among other infractions under the commission chairman, Professor Pakistan.
The workers revealed this in a protest letter released by the Association of Senior Civil Servants Nigeria, and addressed to the chairman and the management.
Mr Shettima, in a letter dated February 2025, directed Professor Pakistan to repost all seconded staff members and refrain from engaging former staff members.
The vice president issued the warning in a letter titled, “Re: Request for Special Waiver to Appoint 3 Retired Officers on Contract,” signed by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Office of the Vice President, Sen. Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia.
The letter stated: “His Excellency the Vice President has expressed a strong objection to rehiring former staff of the commission on a contract basis or engaging external civil servants to the detriment of your staff that are assigned the roles and responsibilities they are employed to perform.”
The vice president said, “Doing so will engender redundancy and create unnecessary discord and rancour within NAHCON’s ranks.”
Mr Shettima directed that the NAHCON chairman should “reverse any such engagements and instruct your Human Resources unit to conduct a proper mandate and capability assessment of your workforce so you can reassign roles and responsibilities or build up capacities where necessary.”
This newspaper understands that until the Friday decision by NAHCON, there are at least 26 seconded civil servants currently working in NAHCON, holding strategic positions despite Mr Shettima’s directive.
Other seconded officers posted back to their original MDAs are Abubakar Isa Mshellanga, deputy director (procurement); Muhammad Ahmad, deputy director (admin); Mohammed Lawal, deputy director (audit); Abdullahi Kabir, deputy director (admin); Ahmad Sabo, assistant director (accounts); and Nasiru Adamu, principal accountant.
Insiders complained that the external staff members are given preferential treatment by Professor Pakistan, to the detriment of the internal workforce.
For example, during the 2025 Hajj, 25 of the 26 external civil servants were sponsored to Hajj by the commission. On the other hand, of the 262 original staff of NAHCON, 78 were left behind, further deepening divisions within the commission.
In their reactions, some workers in the commission told this newspaper that while the decision was courageous, they insisted that the affected seconded civil servants must refund all the money they owed the commission for sponsoring their spouses during the 2025 Hajj.
Findings by this newspaper revealed that at least nine of the posted back seconded officers are allegedly owing millions in spouse subscriptions for 2025 Hajj as follows:
Babagana Bukar (N4.57 million), Aminu Ya’Abba (N18.28 million), Abdulmalik Diggi (N13.71 million), Sirajo Salisu Usman (N9.14 million), Lawal Mohammed (N4.57 million), Msheltanga Isa (N4.57 million), Abdullahi Kabir (N13.71 million), Abba Bulama (N13.71 million), and Nafiu Ibrahim (N13.71 million).
“The commission, EFCC and ICPC should ensure all funds for these spouses above have been fully remitted to the Commission with evidence of receipt issued by the
Commission,” one of the insiders said.
The workers have also called on EFCC to ensure that Mrs Usara , who had four spouses during the 2025 Hajj, produces evidence of payment of N18,282,186.24 as the cost of her spouses.
Mr Pakistan, the insiders said, also had a large number of spouses and it was not clear if he had refunded their subscription fare to the commission as provided by law.
“We want the EFCC to ensure that all internal staff members that subscribed for spouses, including Professor Pakistan, produce evidence of payment for them. No one should be spared,” an official said.
Also, the Hajj commission workers have vowed to resist any moves by Mr Pakistan to bring back his brother Sirajo and nephew Diggi as special assistants.
“We’ll resist these moves using all available means. Mr Sirajo and Diggi are responsible for all the mess ongoing in the commission. We’ll deploy all arsenal to stop their return in whatever guise,” the top official said.
Insiders told this newspaper that Mr Pakistan is bent in retaining Sirajo and Diggi “because they are his lifeline. Due to his challenges of reading and writing in English, he requires the services of Sirajo and Diggi to translate memos for him, and minute on them on his behalf.”
“That is why we are calling on EFCC to conduct forensic investigations on the minutes and signatures approved by Professor Pakistan. We strongly believe that Mr Sirajo was the one acting on all official memos on behalf of Professor Pakistan. This is illegal,” another top official of NAHCON said.
The staff members said they would go on protest if the commission brings back Tawfiq Tayo Akinwale, who was dismissed after contesting in the governorship election in Oyo State in 2023 under the banner of Labour Party (LP), in apparent disregard to Electoral Act and Civil Service Rules.
They said all staff members that retired but are still hanging around to be re-engaged would “face stiff rejection from us. Mr Abba Bulama has retired but he is still hanging out waiting to be recalled. We’ll fight him to finish. He should leave and allow others to grow. “
Multiple staff members who agreed to speak to our reporters said “the 26 external staff members have added no value to the commission despite guzzling over N3 billion from the commission’s coffers.”
The workers have vowed to “resist any attempt to bring retired officers as adhoc staff during future Hajj operations. They are just parasites. The staff of the commission should be allowed to do their job as was done during the third NAHCON board under Barr. Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammad,” another top official said.
The workers said henceforth, they would only allow a reasonable number of specialised committees such as media, medical, security and aviation.
“We have resolved to reject any repeat of over bloated media, medical and security committees like Professor Pakistan did — wasting the scarce resources of the commission. We have resolved to revert to the system adopted by the third board under Barr Abdullahi (Mukhtar) where reasonable number of professionals are appointed into these specialised committees,” one of the NAHCON officials said.
On spouses and stakeholders, the workers frowned at hiow the system was bastardized by Barr Zikirullah Kunle Hassan and Professor Pakistan. “It is embarrassing to know that the stakeholders which was not more than 20 people under Malam Musa Bello and Barr Abdullahi Mukhtar has now reached more than 800 under Professor Pakistan,” another staff member lamented.
“Aside the higher number of the spouse and stakeholder lists, the most worrisome aspect is that these slots are being sold to the highest bidders by the top management staff in the commission. This has to stop,” another angry official said.