NAHCON to investigate allegation over Hajj savings scheme

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, (NAHCON) says it would welcome and support investigation by the House Committee on Pilgrimage over the Hajj Savings Scheme (HSS).

HSS is a voluntary contributory scheme introduced by the hajj commission in collaboration with JAIZ bank to make it easy for Nigerian pilgrims to perform hajj.

In a statement by NAHCON signed by the Assistant Director of Public Affairs, Hajiya Fatima Usara, it said the attention of the commissioner has been drawn to a story circulating in the social media over allegations of fraudulent practices by the Commission through the Hajj Savings Scheme (HSS) platform.

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.

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 4,000 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, alleging that NAHCON was dipping its hand into the fund.

It also said that the HSS has been established since 2006 for intending Muslim pilgrims to save towards performing the Hajj.

For clarification, Hajiya Usara said the Hajj Savings Scheme was launched on the 4th of October 2020 as against 2006.

She added that for transparency purpose, each subscriber to the scheme receives a monthly update on his or her deposits detailing whatever profit accrues to it. Pilgrims on the HSS monitor their accounts directly from their phones if they wish.

NAHCON, according to the statement 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 were shared to the states with the details forwarded to them from inception to December.

NAHCON also stated that the HSS is under the custody of Ja’iz Bank thereby refuting allegations that the commission uses the funds.

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 state 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 the Armed Forces: N320,000,000.00

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

According to the statement, by introducing the HSS, NAHCON aims to achieve profit for the pilgrim who entrusts their money for the sake of travelling 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,” the statement added.

HSS PROFIT DISTRIBUTION FROM INCEPTION TO DECEMBER 2021