The Media Support Team, on Tuesday, disassociated Prof Abdullahi Saleh Usman, the incumbent Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigerian (NAHCON) of any involvement in the ongoing investigation into the 2024 Hajj operations of the commission.
Recall that a public hearing organised by the Special Committee set up by the House of Representative to investigate discrepancies in the disbursement of the 2024 Hajj subsidies to pilgrims has been the subject of public discourse as the current Chairman of NAHCON, Prof Saleh appeared before the committee.
In a statement received by Muslim News on Tuesday, 19th November from her national coordinator, Ibrahim Abubakar Nagarta, the media team noted that Prof Saleh Usman was never in the picture of any of the alleged shoddy deals that took place during the 2024 Hajj.
The group clarified that Prof Saleh was only appointed to chair the Commission few months after the completion of the exercise.
The group was reacting to a short video clip circulated on social media immediately after the public hearing by the lawmakers between 13th and 14th November, which might create the impression that Prof Saleh Usman that is being investigated for the alleged mishandling of the spiritual journey to Holy Land.
The statement read, “It has come to our notice as concerned citizens, for the welfare of Nigerian pilgrims, of a short, ambiguous and controversial video clip on social media platforms that has been making the rounds on the public hearing that was organised on the 13th and 14th of November, 2024, respectively, by the house of representatives investigative committee on the 2024, hajj exercise in which the content provider of the mischievous video clip, did not categorically and clearly explain to the public who amongst either the former chairman of NAHCON, or the incumbent is actually being investigated.
“We, therefore, wish to make it crystal clear to the public, especially mischief makers that Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman Pakistan, the current NAHCON chairman, was never in the picture of any of the shoddy deals that took place as being alleged by the authorities during the 2024, hajj exercise.
“In fact, he was appointed as NAHCON chairman some months after the 2024, hajj season was over.
“The appearance of Prof. Pakistan, at the scene of the public hearing and investigation was only necessitated by his position as the incumbent chairman of the commission, in order to witness the way and manner in which things will unfold, and also to brace up for the enormous task before him, as the new chairman of the commission.”
Abubakar Nagarta therefore “Unequivocally called on mischief makers to desist from such campaigns of calumny against the National Hajj Commission’s chairman, in the interest of fairness, which is one of the cardinal principles of the pen profession”.
