NAHCON dismisses media reports of fraud against Hajj Savings Scheme

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has refuted a story circulating in the social media on allegation of fraudulent practices by the Commission through the Hajj Savings Scheme (HSS) platform.

In a statement issued in Abuja by Head of Public Affairs Unit of NAHCON, Hajia Fatima Sanda Usara, sent to The DEFENDER on Friday, the Commission described the story as a cooked up story in which there is no single truth.

“In the said story, there is a request that the Hajj Savings Scheme be suspended as well as mandating House Committee on Pilgrimage to investigate the scheme. This followed allegation made against the HSS said to have been established in 2006 for intending Muslim pilgrims to save towards performing the Hajj.

“According to the report, within two years of NAHCON’s partnership with JA’IZ Bank to assist intending pilgrims to save under the Hajj Savings Scheme, the customer base has hit over 4000 with one billion naira savings in the account. It was alleged that the scheme lacked transparency and accountability.

“The story also quoted an expression of fear that, if the development is not tackled, it will lead to corruption in the system and disregard for the extant law.

“In another purported statement from the same sitting, it was stated that for more than two years, intending pilgrims had been contributing to the scheme, but unable to perform the Hajj due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, instead it was alleged that against the act establishing the commission, NAHCON was dipping its hand into the fund.

“To put the record straight, first, the Hajj Savings Scheme was launched on the 4th of October 2020 as against 2006. 2006 is the year the Commission was established by the way.

“Secondly, that the scheme lacked transparency. It would interest the reader to know that each subscriber to the scheme receives a monthly update on his/her deposits detailing whatever profit accrues to it. Pilgrims on the HSS monitor their accounts directly from their phones if they wish.

“Besides, NAHCON had constantly given progress reports to State Welfare Boards on performance of the scheme, the most recent being in March when the Commission released details of profit distribution to each of the state boards. Dividends where shared to the states with the details forwarded to them,” the NAHCON’s Spokeswoman said in the statement along which a tabulated details of facts and figures regarding profits shared from inception to December  (2022) were presented.

Usara then continued, “Moreover, if the scheme lacked transparency, information on the customer base or funds gathered would not have been known to the public.

“Thirdly, with regards to alleged NAHCON dipping its hand into the fund, NAHCON wishes to state that the HSS is safely under the custody of Ja’iz Bank.

“For two years that Hajj did not take place, pilgrims’ Hajj fare deposits have been in the coffers of most State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards/Agencies/Commissions against NAHCON’s directives and against extant laws with the exception of Adamawa: that remitted N500,000,000.00; Bauchi: N327,500,000.00, Borno: N100,000,000.00; Edo:N124,000,000.00; Gombe: N350,000,000.00; Kogi: N26,633,940.00; Nasarawa: N252,000,000.00; Niger: N433,110,000.00; Osun:  N150,000,000,00; Oyo: N2000,000,000.00; Taraba: N400,000,000.00; Yobe: N400,000,000.00; and Armed Forces: N320,000,000.00.

“Equally, the remittances made by the afore mentioned states totaling N3,583,243,940.00 was safely kept in the Central Bank of Nigeria until early this year when the amount was finally returned to the respective states.

“By introducing the HSS, what NAHCON aims to achieve is profit for the pilgrim who entrusts his money for the sake of traveling for Hajj. If the quoted amount above had been deposited with the Ja’iz bank under the HSS, the bonuses the pilgrims would receive would have superseded what they gained presently. It was for this reason that the Commission instructed state boards to register their pilgrims under the scheme to make their deposits appreciate thereby cushioning effect of devaluation.”

She asked, “Curiously, has the pilgrim who deposited his money under the states received additional profit under the two years his money has been with the authorities? The story would have been different if the deposits were made under the Hajj Savings Scheme.

“Finally, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria makes bold to invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate operation of the Hajj Savings Scheme as well as to investigate management of pilgrims’ funds under each Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards of the federation. This invitation will be formally forwarded to EFCC absolve the Commission of any allegations.

“Additionally, NAHCON supports and welcomes the investigation by the House Committee on Pilgrimage,” the statement said.