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Stakeholders to Tinubu: Return NAHCON to SGF Now
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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa and Prosper Olayiwola
Calls for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to return the supervision of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, continue to grow, as Muslim professional groups, civil society actors, farmers’ associations and individual stakeholders intensify pressure on the Presidency to review the current arrangement.
The renewed push follows a series of open letters and formal submissions urging the President to reverse the 2023 directive that placed NAHCON under the Office of the Vice President and restore the long standing supervisory role of the SGF.
A coalition of Muslim professionals, led by Hassan Abdullahi and Danladi Bello, traced the evolution of Hajj administration in Nigeria from the regional boards of the 1950s to the creation of the Nigeria Pilgrims Board in 1975, and the eventual establishment of NAHCON in 2006 following years of administrative lapses, including the 1996 Saudi suspension of Nigerian pilgrims.
They argued that the NAHCON Establishment Act clearly places the Commission “under the Presidency” without reference to the Office of the Vice President, stressing that successive administrations exercised this oversight through the SGF as a neutral coordinating authority.
“The Act does not say Office of the Vice President. It says Presidency,” the group stated, adding that SGF supervision historically guaranteed stability, inter agency coordination and operational efficiency.
According to the coalition, the 2023 transfer to the Vice President’s office injected political considerations into what should remain a technocratic and coordination driven function, warning that such a shift weakens accountability and blurs reporting lines.
The group cited concrete gains recorded under SGF coordinated oversight, including Nigeria’s full utilisation of its 95,000 Hajj quota in 2023 for the first time in nearly ten years, the successful airlift of over 51,000 government quota pilgrims in 2024 despite economic pressures, and direct accommodation contracting with Saudi landlords that cut out intermediaries and saved millions of naira.
They noted that these achievements were driven by close cooperation among aviation, finance, health, foreign affairs and security agencies, a role the SGF’s office is institutionally designed to manage.
Support for the call has since expanded.
In a separate endorsement, the Amana Farmers and Grains Suppliers Association of Nigeria, AFGSAN, described stability and neutrality in Hajj administration as critical for ordinary Nigerians who spend decades saving for the pilgrimage.
In a letter signed by Aliyu Yunusa Yandutse, Chairman of its Jigawa State chapter, the association urged President Tinubu to restore NAHCON’s supervision to the SGF, noting that the welfare of pilgrims requires administrative consistency rather than politically exposed oversight.
Further weight was added by TSANGAYA, Support Transformation and Empowerment Initiative, whose executives and board members passed a resolution backing the return of NAHCON to SGF supervision after internal deliberations. The group said the move would strengthen efficiency, continuity and accountability.
In an independent letter addressed directly to the President, Goni Ibrahim Garba Dr Usman Ahmad urged a formal review of NAHCON’s supervisory framework, stressing that the SGF operates as the Presidency’s coordinating arm and is better positioned to align federal ministries and agencies involved in Hajj logistics, foreign exchange approvals, health services and security clearances.
The letter outlined key reasons for the proposed reversal, including legal compliance with the NAHCON Act, operational efficiency, institutional stability across administrations, clearer accountability and improved pilgrim welfare, citing full slot utilisation and cost savings as evidence.
Concerns were also raised by individuals from within the Hajj ecosystem.
Muhammed Suleman Gama of Kano described recent internal tensions within NAHCON as symptoms of avoidable political interference. He praised the current Chairman, Prof. Abdullahi Saleh Usman, popularly known as Prof. Pakistan, describing his leadership during the last Hajj as the strongest in decades, but warned that undue external pressure risks undermining progress.
Across the submissions, stakeholders shared common demands, stronger bureaucratic coordination, insulation from political disruption, clear oversight lines and protection of Nigeria’s standing with Saudi authorities.
They argue that returning NAHCON to SGF supervision is essential to sustaining recent improvements and safeguarding the interests of more than 160,000 Nigerians who performed Hajj in 2023 and 2024.
As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency has yet to issue an official response on whether it will review NAHCON’s current supervisory structure.
News
BREAKING : Court orders final forfeiture of ₦150m kinked to Delta HoR member
A Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, has ordered the final forfeiture of ₦150 million linked to serving House of Representatives member, Nicholas Mutu, to the Federal Government.
The ruling was delivered by Justice J.O. Abdulmalik after the court upheld an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The court held that the funds should be permanently forfeited after no convincing explanation was provided to show why the money should not be seized by the government.
The forfeiture followed earlier proceedings in which the court granted an interim order against the funds.
The court also directed that the order be published in a national newspaper to allow interested parties to challenge the application.
However, after the publication and the expiration of the required period, no sufficient cause was shown before the court to stop the permanent forfeiture.
The EFCC told the court that its investigation linked the money to alleged corrupt dealings involving Mutu during his time as chairman of the House Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission.
According to the anti-graft agency, the lawmaker allegedly received kickbacks running into over ₦400 million from a consultant working with the NDDC.
The commission argued that part of the funds traced during investigations included the ₦150 million now ordered forfeited.
After reviewing submissions from both parties, Justice Abdulmalik ruled in favour of the EFCC and granted the final forfeiture order.
Mutu, a long-serving federal lawmaker from Delta State, remains a serving member of the House of Representatives.
News
Photos: “I Directed Wike To Build Roads Before Asking Nigerians to Move into Renewed Hope Estate, He Has Done It” – Tinubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday, disclosed that he directed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to provide roads and other engineering infrastructure to the 3,112-unit Renewed Hope City in Karsana before residents could occupy the estate, and the minister wasted no time in carrying out the directive.
The President, represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, made the disclosure while commissioning the 10.5-kilometre Access Roads to the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates in Karsana West District, Abuja.
He said the completion of the road network fulfilled the directive he gave during the groundbreaking of the housing project, stressing that no housing estate could function without access roads and supporting infrastructure.
“When I performed the groundbreaking for the 3,112-unit Renewed Hope City here in Karsana, I gave one clear directive: provide the roads, provide the engineering infrastructure, and unlock this district for development. Housing without access is a blueprint without a building.
“For too long, Abuja’s story was ‘awarded and abandoned contracts’. Today, we are ending that story with roads that open, not ones that stall,” he said.
Tinubu said he specifically instructed Wike to immediately open up the district because “civil servants, families and investors cannot live in houses they cannot reach.”
“I gave that assignment to a Minister who treats deadlines as duties. I told the Honourable Minister of the FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike, CON, that civil servants, families and investors cannot live in houses they cannot reach. ‘Open Karsana, and open it now.’ He took that brief, set the pace and delivered.
“When urgency meets quality, results follow. That is what you are standing on today.”
The President said the newly completed Arterial Roads N11, N16, N40 and Special Important Local Street 03 have linked Karsana West to the Outer Northern Expressway, making thousands of affordable housing units accessible, livable and secure.
He praised Wike for what he described as the visible transformation of the Federal Capital Territory, saying the minister had turned stalled projects into completed infrastructure.
“You took stalled corridors and made them active corridors. You brought the same urgency to Karsana that you brought to other districts and the area councils. You measure contractors by output, not promises. Minister, you have earned my trust and you have my commendation,” Tinubu added.
He also commended Minister of State for the FCT, Mariya Mahmoud, engineers and officials of the FCT Administration for ensuring the project was completed on schedule and according to specification.
The President further praised Lubrik Construction Company for delivering the project after it was awarded the contract in February 2025, assuring contractors that his administration would continue to honour prompt payment for jobs delivered on time and to specification.
Earlier, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Barr. Nyesom Wike recalled that Karsana was inaccessible when Tinubu performed the groundbreaking for the Renewed Hope Estate in 2024.
“For those of us who were here that day, I was imagining how anybody would come and live in this area because there was no road,” he said.
The minister disclosed that developers had expressed fears that their investments would become worthless without access roads, but he assured them the government would intervene.
“I told them, ‘It is Renewed Hope. Go home and sleep. We must construct the road in this Karsana district.’ Today, it is a different story.”
Wike said the project became possible because the Federal Government ensured prompt payment while the contractor fulfilled its obligation by delivering within schedule.
He also announced that the FCT Administration would next Wednesday, July 8, flag off the construction of Kaba- Kagini – Zaudna road following recent request by residents over its deplorable condition.
In her remarks, FCT Minister of State, Mariya Mahmoud, described the project as another milestone in the implementation of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, saying the roads would boost economic activities, improve connectivity and expand access to affordable housing across the territory.
While celebrating the successful completion of the access roads, Mahmoud called on residents and stakeholders to take collective ownership of public infrastructure by protecting and preserving it for the benefit of present and future generations.
News
Just in: FRSC Starts 2026 Nationwide Recruitment
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has officially commenced its 2026 nationwide recruitment exercise, beckoning on qualified Nigerians to apply for various positions across its Officer, Marshal Inspectorate and Road Marshal Assistant cadres.
According to the Corps, the online application portal opened on Friday, July 3, 2026, and will remain accessible for four weeks. The recruitment exercise is completely free, with the agency warning applicants not to pay any individual or organization claiming to facilitate employment.
Interested applicants are required to submit their applications through the official FRSC recruitment portal at HERE
Available Cadres
The recruitment covers three major categories:
Officer Cadre – Open to holders of B.Sc., BA, HND and other relevant professional qualifications.
Marshal Inspectorate Cadre – Available for candidates with qualifications such as ND, NCE and other approved credentials.
Road Marshal Assistant Cadre – Includes opportunities for eligible SSCE holders, artisans and drivers, depending on the position.
Required Documents
Applicants are advised to prepare the following before beginning their application:
National Identification Number (NIN)
Educational certificates
Birth certificate or age declaration
Recent passport photograph
NYSC discharge, exemption or exclusion certificate (where applicable)
The FRSC also advises applicants to use their personal email address and phone number during registration and to ensure all information provided is accurate. Shortlisted candidates will be required to present printed copies of their completed application forms during the screening process.
The Corps urged interested Nigerians seeking a career in the Federal Government to apply early in order to avoid heavy traffic on the recruitment portal before the application window closes.
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