Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State Criticizes National Hajj Commission’s Management of State Pilgrims.
On Thursday, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri voiced concerns regarding the handling of state pilgrims by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON). During a meeting where he received the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage report from the State Amirul Hajj team and the management of the Adamawa State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Commission, Fintiri criticized NAHCON’s allocation of airlines to state contingents. He noted that states were not given the option to choose their airlines, which he found problematic.
Fintiri also expressed dissatisfaction with NAHCON’s management of accommodation arrangements in the holy land, stating that state governors would resist such arbitrary decisions in the future. Despite these criticisms, he praised the state Hajj team for their efforts and assured continued government support for Hajj operations.
The report, presented by the deputy Amirul Hajj, Prof. Abdullahi Liman Tukur, provided insights into the 2024 Hajj exercise and highlighted areas for improvement in the state Pilgrims Commission’s operations. Malam Abubakar Sadiq, Executive Secretary of the state Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Commission, also described the 2024 Hajj as a success and emphasized the board’s commitment to ongoing improvements.
Governor Fintiri’s comments underscore a call for better coordination and involvement of state authorities in the Hajj process, reflecting concerns over NAHCON’s centralized decision-making approach.