If every Muslim had their way, they would visit Mecca at least once in their lives to fulfil one of Islam’s five pillars, the spiritual duty of Hajj. But, of all the obligations imposed by Islam on Muslims, performing the hajj necessitates far more than just wishes. It necessitates a large sum of money, which only the wealthy can afford, and which the average Nigerian has been unable to raise unless relying on the state’s charity, wealthy family members, or relatives.
The fact remains that hajj fares are relatively high, owing to global economic realities that have contributed to rising inflation. The fare was set at N1.5 million during the 2019 hajj activities, however it has now risen to N2.5 million in 2022. You can bet your bottom dollar that fares will skyrocket in the years ahead.
Perhaps in recognition of these facts, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), whose statutory role is to organise and coordinate the transportation of persons from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia for the accomplishment of pilgrimage or Ummra, devised the Hajj Savings Scheme.
With the scheme’s introduction in Kano in 2020, and its complete implementation in 2022 after presidential permission, intended pilgrims, particularly from states, will no longer have to struggle to pay immediate money, but will be able to work and save gradually in order to travel to Mecca.
Because it provides long-awaited relief, the programme has received widespread support, as seen by the positive interest and contributions made by some prospective pilgrims in various states to the JAIZ Bank, which became the scheme’s joint promoter.
In fact, as of March 2022, the scheme had over 4,000 enrollees, all of whom have had their accounts regularly credited with the proceeds that accrued in just one year, whereas those who had their initial deposits for the 2020 and 2021 Hajj with the State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards (SPWPBs), which had been adamant against NAHCON’s directives and existing laws to remit their savings to JAIZ bank, have yet to make such profit. Enrollees are more optimistic about performing hajj than they have been since the scheme began.
However, this heartwarming tale of support and encouragement for regular Nigerian Muslims preparing to perform the hajj may be cut short shortly. Last Monday, the Senate passed a bill sponsored by Senator Ibrahim Danbaba (Sokoto South) calling for the suspension of the plan and the probable deposit of its savings in the Central Bank of Nigeria on second reading (CBN). Previously, the House of Representatives had taken similar action in response to a motion by Katsina State legislator Aminu Ashiru-Mani, who claimed without evidence that NAHCON’s recent directives to state pilgrims’ welfare boards, agencies, and commissions to migrate Hajj deposits made by intending pilgrims to the Hajj Savings Scheme platform with Jaiz Bank could allow for corruption and lack of accountability in the scheme.
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If these actions by the national assembly surprised you, you are not alone, especially when you consider the wonderful work that NAHCON has been doing to protect intending Muslim pilgrims from financial pressures to perform hajj, as well as the national economy from the colossal sums that the government sinks into the sponsorship of hajj for political patronage every year.
You’d think that the facts deriving from the legislators’ likely examination of NAHCON and JAIZ bank’s books and records, and the revelation of clear indisputable evidence of mismanagement and embezzlement, would have influenced their actions. But actually, there is no such evidence; rather, what we read was only a warning of probable corruption “if the development (of enabling accounts of intended pilgrims or subscribers in the bank) is not addressed.”
As a result, the following questions arise: how does JAIZ bank’s management of the intending pilgrims’ account lead to potential corruption? Are there any serious complaints from scheme members about their money being lost? What do intending pilgrims stand to gain if the scheme is suspended or the contributions of subscribers are transferred to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), especially given the fact that they will not be able to receive halal alerts (interest-free) of profits from the bank, nor will they be able to grow their accounts to the point where they are financially stable enough to embark on this journey? Will aspiring pilgrims/subscribers be able to use their usual log-in credentials to check on their accounts?
When an organisation comes up with a good idea to help some struggling people strengthen their religion and you have no gratitude to offer, I believe the least you can do is remain silent. But this is Nigeria, where monetary motives, not philanthropic zeal, often drive some public initiatives.
Concerned stakeholders must now take a firm stance against this pointless legislative adventure before it is too late, because if the national assembly gets its way, it will put an end to the dreams of many of the poor and struggling subscribers who have seen this scheme as a godsend, a scheme that is supposed to create a robust and healthy economy around Hajj anyway.
The fact that the Council of Imams and Ulama has already expressed reservations about the National Assembly’s handling of this subject is telling. In a recent statement, the ulamas led by Shaykh Ibrahim Nakaka, Chairman of the Council, and Dr Yusuf Yakubu Arrigasiyyu, Secretary-General of the Council, expressed concern that the scheme, which was modelled after the Malaysian Tabung Hajj and had become a reference point for the country’s national economy, was about to be shut down.
The Independent Hajj Reporters, a Civil Society Organization (CSO), has also urged the National Assembly to halt its efforts to amend the NAHCON Act, while also questioning whether lawmakers’ unusually sudden interest in the Hajj savings scheme will endanger Nigerians planning to perform the hajj in 2022.
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Other stakeholders must raise the alarm now. Pressures must be applied to this assembly to persuade them to leave this scheme alone, because there are currently no clear, convincing facts to support their misguided actions, other than the fact that the current crop of legislators is purposefully undermining the scheme, either out of malice or ignorance of its background, philosophy, goals, and even operations. It would also not be incorrect to attribute excessive influence on the assembly to the SMPWBs, whose body language demonstrates their opposition to the scheme’s full adoption due to their unfounded fears that it will render them ineffectual.
