By: Ambr. Timothy Nwachukwu
The Nigerian Youth Patriots (NYP), a national organization dedicated to promoting patriotism and nationalism among Nigerian youths, has applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for dismissing the former Chairman of the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON), Jalal Arabi, due to corruption allegations. This action followed a thorough investigation conducted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which uncovered significant fraudulent activities within the Commission.
Ambassador Timothy Nwachukwu, the President of NYP, welcomed the decision to sack Jalal Arabi, commending the EFCC for its diligent investigation that exposed the extent of the fraud. The investigation revealed that the former NAHCON Chairman, along with the Commission's Secretary, engaged in multiple corrupt practices, including misappropriation of funds meant for Hajj operations.
One of the key fraudulent activities involved a consultancy fee paid to Shuraka’a al-Khair Group Ltd for services that were either unnecessary or already covered by funds received from the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. Additionally, Jalal Arabi overpaid estacodes to himself and other officials for a non-existent study tour, pocketing sums far above the amounts they were entitled to.
Daily Trust reports that the sacked Chairman made an overpayment of escorts to himself and to staff members for a study tour that never took place. He paid himself SAR 50,000, far above the SAR15,929 he was entitled, paid three commissioners SR40,000 each instead of SAR15,929, paid his secretary SR30,000 instead of SAR14,336, overpaid the directors and the chief of staff SAR30,000 each, when they were only entitled to SAR2,550 each alongside several unaccounted cash withdrawals from the account of NAHCON and the mismanagement of N90 billion federal government subsidy for 2024 Hajj
Further investigations revealed that the former Chairman also made several unauthorized cash withdrawals from NAHCON's accounts and mismanaged the significant portion of the N90 billion federal government subsidy allocated for the 2024 Hajj. These actions highlighted a deep-seated culture of corruption within the Commission.
Mr Nwachukwu expressed deep concern over the pervasive nature of corruption within Nigeria's public service, using the case of NAHCON as an example of how deeply entrenched this issue has become. He stressed that the public service is perceived as one of the most corrupt sectors in Nigeria, and the NAHCON case underscores the need for urgent reform.
Ambassador Nwachukwu urged Nigerians to support the EFCC by providing credible information that could lead to the arrest of corrupt public officials. He also called on public office holders to perform their duties with honesty, transparency, and accountability, emphasizing that these qualities are essential for Nigeria to achieve its developmental goals and secure a better future for the next generation.
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