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2023 Hajj: NAHCON to refund N64, 679 to 95,000 pilgrims

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By Mario Deepromoter

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced that it would refund SR150 (N64,679) each to 95,000 Nigerian pilgrims who participated in the 2023 Hajj exercise.

NAHCON’s Commissioner of Operations, Anofi Olanrewaju-Elegushi, revealed this in a statement by the Assistant Director of Public Affairs, Fatima Usara, on Monday in Abuja.

Mr Olanrewaju-Elegushi explained that the refund is for services not rendered by the Saudi Hajj Ministry at Masha’ir during the last Hajj.

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“All 95,000 Nigerian pilgrims that travelled for Hajj in 2023 from both states and private operators are to receive SR150 each (one hundred and fifty Saudi Riyals) as refund,” he said.

He disclosed that NAHCON has already started working towards making the payments

Mr Olanrewaju-Elegushi also provided some updates on issues concerning refunds requested by Private Tour Operators, (PTOs).

He said one of the decision reached during the tour was that instead of 20 lead companies earlier slated to spearhead the conduct of 2025 Hajj from the private sector, the number has been reduced to 10 by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (MoHU).

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He added that “the ministry has stipulated that each company must register minimum of 2,000 pilgrims to be considered for Hajj visa approval.”

Refund claims
Mr Olanrewaju-Elegushi further clarified that contrary to claims that NAHCON owes PTOs N17 billion from the 2024 Hajj caution deposit of N25m, it received only N2 billion, 750million from 110 companies that registered for the 2024 Hajj.

“The amount included a roll-over of N1billion, 250m from the previous year. From the amount, 30 companies requested for refunds amounting to N750m which has been paid. The balance still in the custody of the Commission accruing to undecided PTOs is N750m,” he said.

On the 2022 refund, Mr Olanrewaju-Elegushi said the Commission is still awaiting details.

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He, however, revealed that details have emerged only for PTOs that camped on Field Office 18 in 2022.

:They are to collectively receive SR62, 602 (sixty-two thousand six hundred and two thousand Saudi Riyals) as refund for poor feeding in the Masha’ir” the statement said.

Bank Guarantee
Mr Olanrewaju-Elegushi also informed the PTO members that NAHCON’s EXCO has approved the option of honouring Bank Guarantee as payment of N40 million Caution Deposit for the 2025 Hajj.

” In view of the above, any operator who wishes to make the payment through Bank Guarantee but has already made a cash deposit is invited to request for collection of the earlier deposit in order to present the Bank Guarantee.

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“The registration deadline was extended to 11:59 p.m. Friday 11th October to accommodate registration through the Bank Guarantee or cash deposit. We advised that due to time and procedural constraints, members wishing to take the Bank Guarantee option can raise a Bank Draft of the Caution Deposit amount and retrieve it after the Bank Guarantee is ready.

“The retrieval can be done even after deadline of registration

The commissioner expressed concern over time limitation.

Exchange rate for 2025
Mr Olanrewaju-Elegushi also confirmed that there will be no concessionary exchange rate from government for the 2025 Hajj exercise.

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” It was confirmed that for the 2025 Hajj, there will be no concessionary exchange rate from the government for Hajj fare payment for pilgrims whether under state or private Hajj operators.

“As part of efforts to curtail hitches for the 2025 Hajj and current Umrah operations, relevant officers of the commission under the Acting Chairman, along with selected members of the PTOs, will visit Saudi Arabia to seek a headway in contentious issues such as trapped IBAN deposits, unexplained refunds and limited number of Umrah visa,” the commissioner added.

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1,172 Nigerians Killed, Over 1,000 Kidnapped In Nine Months – NHRC

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The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) says a total of 1,463 people were killed by non-state actors while 1,172 Nigerians were kidnapped between January to September 2024.

According to the data from the commission, the month of May recorded the highest number of persons killed with 298 while March recorded the highest number of abductions with 499 kidnappings.

These figures were presented on Wednesday at a workshop on the state of human rights in Nigeria by the commission and the European Union, in Abuja.

In his remarks, NHRC Senior Human Rights Adviser, Hillary Ogbonna, gave a breakdown of the alarming rise in human rights abuses, including kidnappings, killings and child abandonment.

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“By January 2024, we already had 150 kidnappings and 55 killings associated mainly with non-state actors. What has become the norm is the killing of law enforcement officers,” he said.

“We started with seven policemen killed in January. From victims’ perspectives, we had quite a number of victims for human rights violations for January.”

The NHRC attributed the rise in kidnappings, killings and child abandonment to the negligence of the state tom protect its citizens.

“In recent years, we have witnessed alarming trends and threats against those who dare to speak the truth to power.

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“It serves as a stark reminder that the protection of human rights is an ongoing struggle that requires continuous vigilance, action and cooperation from all sectors of the society,” Tony Ojukwu, NHRC Executive Secretary said.

The delegation from the EU reiterates its commitment to support Nigeria to overcome these challenges. It also urged the Federal Government to work with the armed forces to end this trend.

“The European Union will continue to work around the world through diplomacy,” the Head of EU Delegation, Zissimos Vergos, said.

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Trump picks ex-Democrat Tulsi Gabbard as US Intel Chief

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Donald Trump on Wednesday named former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard, who has opposed US support for Ukraine and met Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad, as his incoming Director of National Intelligence.

The Republican president-elect said Gabbard, a veteran and one-time Democratic White House contender, would “bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our intelligence community.”

Gabbard thanked Trump “for the opportunity to serve as a member of your cabinet to defend the safety, security and freedom of the American people. I look forward to getting to work.”

The former Hawaii congresswoman switched sides from the Democrats and backed Trump earlier this year, helping him during his debate preparations against Kamala Harris, and had been expecting a reward for lining up behind the former president.

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She has long held isolationist foreign policy views and embraced a number of conspiracy theories.

Gabbard made false claims in 2022 about there being US-sponsored biolabs in Ukraine — a key trope of Russian propaganda justifying Moscow’s invasion that year.

She demanded US military withdrawal from Iraq and Syria during her 2020 presidential run.

In 2019, Hillary Clinton said that Russia was grooming a US Democratic candidate for a third-party run, in comments that were apparently directed at Gabbard — and strongly rejected by her.

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Gabbard also had a controversial 2017 meeting with Syria’s Assad at the height of the country’s bloody civil war.

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Stop importation of fake fuel to Nigeria, professionals in Europe tell Tinubu

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe (ANPE), has asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to, as a matter of urgent national importance, stop the dumping of tainted Petroleum Products, otherwise known as fake fuel, being imported into the country.

Tinubu is the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum Resources of the most populous African country, Nigeria, and a major player in oil production in the world.

Despite being major oil producer, Nigeria still battles with importation of refined products, which over 150m end users largely depend on. The nation’s refineries – Kaduna, Warri and Port Harcourt have remain in comatose, despite the many interventions of the present administration in billions of dollars.

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Aside the allegation of frustrating the only viable local refinery, Dangote, the oil cabals have also been accused of encouraging importation of off-spec and adulterated products into the country, the allegations National Assembly Joint Committee is currently investigating.

In a press statement signed on Wednesday by the Global President of ANPE, Mr. Solomon Ola, the Nigerian Professionals in Europe are calling on President Tinubu to cause an urgent investigation of the recent trend of infiltrating the Nigeria’s market with product capable of putting lives of the people in great jeopardy.

The group warned that, “Importation of the sanctioned-tainted petrol into Nigeria would no doubt have diplomatic consequences, bearing in mind the sanctions that the Price Cap Coalition, comprising the European Union, the United States, the G7, and Australia, imposed on Russian-sourced crude and petroleum products”.

The statement read, “The Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe (ANPE) has followed developments in Nigeria’s petroleum industry with concern, given the absurd positions being canvassed by some stakeholders regarding the safety of the country and citizens regarding the quality of products being retailed.

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“ANPE has consequently decided to urge President Bola Tinubu, as a matter of national interest, to use his mandate as the country’s chief executive to halt the designation of Nigeria as a dumping ground for foreign-sourced tainted, adulterated, and questionable petroleum products.

“We are sad and alarmed by recent developments in Europe, from Russia to Malta and every part of Europe, our home country has become a lucrative destination for the dumping of adulterated petroleum products such as PMS popularly known as petrol, which industry experts have tagged as fake fuel.

“Our association is concerned that the petroleum products in question are still being dumped in Nigeria even after industry experts have warned about their substandard nature, which poses material and economic risks to Nigerians whose vehicles and equipment could be damaged by dirty fuel.

“Fake fuel also has negative implications for the environment in addition to the associated dangers that the fumes from these products pose to public health, a situation that the Nigerian government would find exceptionally challenging since such a health burden would further stretch already lean public finances.

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“Importation of the sanctioned-tainted petrol into Nigeria would no doubt have diplomatic consequences, bearing in mind the sanctions that the Price Cap Coalition, comprising the European Union, the United States, the G7, and Australia, imposed on Russian-sourced crude and petroleum products. In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Price Cap Coalition forbids transactions on crude oil and petroleum products of Russian Federation origin unless they are transacted at or below $60, a price band that the products imported into Nigeria routinely violate even when the products are of Russian origin.

“A third concern for our association is the absurdity of importing relatively pricier petrol into Nigeria when more affordable and quality options are available from local refineries. This insistence on flooding Nigeria with bad petrol is equally bad for the economy. It is actively sabotaging President Tinubu’s economic policy.

“Things have gone so awry that Nigeria has become the toast of European companies peddling these products, which cannot be sold in other African countries such as Ghana, Benin Republic, Togo, South Africa, Angola, Kenya and others. The collaborators of these European firms back in Nigeria collude to force these products on citizens of our dear nation for the sole purpose of profit-making.

“ANPE is consequently alerting Mr President and calling for caution while demanding that he directs the relevant authorities to urgently investigate and stop this illegal trade that places the nation and citizens in jeopardy”.

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