FORUM of State Chief Executives of Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards/Agencies and Commissions, and the registered tour operators have passed a vote of no confidence on the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman (Pakistan).
The states and the tour operators are puzzled that over two months after the completion of 2025 Hajj, the Hajj commission is yet to pay some Saudi Arabian service providers and approved Hajj airlines.
They said that both the states and the tour operators have fully paid for the services rendered to their pilgrims during the Hajj – wondering why the commission refused to pay the service providers even though the pilgrims had fully paid NAHCON long before the Hajj.
These two critical Hajj stakeholders also feared that the delay by the commission to remit the pilgrims funds to the feeding and accommodation providers as well as some approved Hajj airlines is capable of jeopardizing the 2026 Hajj, particularly with the Saudi Arabia’s strict deadline and tight Hajj calendar for 2026.
The forum of state chief executives made their position known during a Post- Hajj strategy meeting held at the NAHCON Headquarters in Abuja on August 8, 2025.
During the meeting chaired by Professor Pakistan, the forum unanimously described the 2025 Hajj conducted as a total failure, plagued by alleged corruption.
This newspaper observed that of the 16 points raised by the forum, seven bothered on corruption allegations and financial infractions with many of them now subject of investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
A copy of the forum’s position paper obtained by this newspaper raised posers for Mr Pakistan -led NAHCON. However, more than three weeks after the forum’s submission, the commission is yet to respond as promised by thr commission during the meeting.
“As a follow-up to the August 8, 2025 meeting with NAHCON leadership, the forum, I can confirm to you, has met again on August 27, 2025 to decide on the next line of action” a source inside the NAHCON chairman’s office confided on this newspaper at the weekend.
In the position paper entitled, “Deliberations from the meeting held on Wednesday 7th August, 2025,” the forum stated as follows:
“Feeding at Madinah and Masha’ir was highly unsatisfactory, marked by inadequate portions, insufficient quantity, and delayed delivery. This was further compounded by the poor attitude of the NAHCON’s appointed caterer, ultimately leaving pilgrims sometimes underfed.
“Pilgrims were also subjected to unnecessary stress during accommodation allocation in Madinah, as those from the same State were separated and some were even lodged outside the Markaziyyah neighborhood, in clear violation of the standard agreement on Madinah accommodation.
“There was poor communication and lack of synergy between NAHCON and the States, as no operational meeting or camp visit itineraries were provided, leaving the States to operate without proper guideline or coordination.
“There were arbitrary and unilateral changes to flight schedules and capacities, which caused undue tension, agitations and protests among some of the pilgrims. At times, pilgrims’ slots were replaced with those of stakeholders, forcing States to reassign pilgrims to flights different from the ones they initially travelled with.
“There is need to grant States autonomy to select their air carriers to promote competitiveness and enhance service delivery.
“There is need to first complete all ongoing projects under the Hajj Development Levy Account, including providing clear account of funds collected so far and outlining future plans. A joint Committee between NAHCON and the States should be established to assess all ongoing projects, review existing plans, and reconcile collections to date.
“There is need to conclude the reconciliation for the 2025 Hajj, including the payment of refunds and commissions to the States from air tickets, accommodation and feeding, before the commencement of collection of deposits for 2026 Hajj and their subsequent remittances to the Commission.
“The unjustified disparity in allowances between NAHCON-sponsored and State-sponsored medical team members affected the morale of the latter. NAHCON is urged to either harmonize payments in future operations or revert to allowing States to manage their medical teams independently.
“The Commission need to settle outstanding balances with the service providers to save States from unnecessary pressures especially since the States owes no payments to NAHCON for the 2025 Hajj.
“There is need to ascertain why official visas were not issued to the States, contrary to established procedures.
“There is need to provide States with standard guidelines and operating procedures for all Hajj services, outlining controls, directions, powers, limitations and remedies for effective implementation.
“There is need to refund pilgrims for airport feeding that was paid for but not provided.
“There is need to account for the SR6.9million balance from the 2023 Hajj refunds and disburse it to the States for the benefit of the affected pilgrims.
“There is also the need for NAHCON to clarify the root causes of overpayment, and underutilization of services in Madinah, Makkah, and Masha’ir, along with the negative publicity it generated for the Nigerian Hajj industry and its potential implications for the 2026 Hajj preparations.
“There is need to clarify the implications of the purported closure of 2026 Hajj camp booking in August, 2025, especially since collections are yet to commence.
“There is need for NAHCON to redeem its pledge to provide the Forum with an office at Hajj House, especially since Tour Operators have already been allocated office and are currently operating from there.”
Also, a group of registered tour operators had earlier passed a vote of no confidence on the Pakistan-led NAHCON, citing many alleged irregularities and administrative incompetence. They accused NAHCON of imposing service providers on the tour operators, under-hand dealings with service providers, inflation of contracts, persecution of companies challenging NAHCON decisions, favoritism, among others.
The tour operators revealed this in a widely circulated press statement in April 2025, signed by three officials of the Association for Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHUON) namely: Ikramah Muhammad – Deputy President (Hajj Affairs);
Ambursa A. Usman – Vice President (Abuja Zone); and Haruna Isma’il – Vice President (Kano Zone).
It’s not only states and tour operators that have an axe to grind with the Hajj commission under Professor Pakistan, this newspaper understands.
Earlier, the board members of NAHCON had petitioned Vice President Kashim Shettima, accusing Mr Pakistan of gross misconduct and violation of procurement regulations.
The six-page petition, dated March 13, 2025 and titled, “Deliberate exclusion from the oversight functions,” was signed by all the six zonal commissioners, and two others representing the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Jama’atul Nasril Islam (JNi).
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 Mr 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.
Other Hajj stakeholders who had face-off with NAHCON include airlines, Saudi service providers, NAHCON adhoc officials (stakeholders), among others.
Insiders in both Nigeria and Saudi Arabia said the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah had severally complained about Nigeria’s poor outing during 2025 Hajj, occasioned by NAHCON leadership alleged confusion, lack of coordination and administrative inefficiency.
Stakeholders have called for the removal of Mr Pakistan and Commissioner of Policy, Personnel and Finance (PPMF), Aliu Abdulrazak; and that of Planning, Research, Statistics, Information and Library Services (PRSILS), Professor Abubakar A. Yagawal. The two commissioners, alongside other directors, were recently detained by the EFCC over multi-billion naira alleged fraud.
Impeccable sources inside the EFCC are saying that the ongoing investigation by the anti-graft agency is fueled by the shocking discovery that Mr Pakistan had spent over 300 percent above the budget approved to him by President Bola Tinubu for 2025 Hajj operation, thereby plunging the commission into an unprecedented debt trap.
“If you gather all the funds in the commission’s accounts now, they can’t pay up the many debts owed service providers in Saudi Arabia, airlines, Hajj services refunds, among others,” an official involved in the investigation told this newspaper in confidence.
The stakeholders, who spoke to this newspaper, said the quick sack of Mr Pakistan, Abdulrazak and Yagawal, is the only way of arresting the fast drift of the commission into dysfunctional abyss.
They urged Vice President Kashim Shettima to take a timely decision of sacking the three top officials to save 2026 from looming jeopardy.
However, NAHCON had described the 2025 Hajj as a huge success. A statement signed by NAHCON spokesperson Fatima Usara, and dated July 2, 2025, quoted Professor Pakistan as saying “that Nigeria had a smooth and successful Hajj exercise” in 2025.
Mrs Usara said the chairman “attributed this success to the spirit of unity and cooperation demonstrated by State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards officials, airline operators and other service providers, as well as obedience of the pilgrims to laid down guidelines.”