ThePeople’s insight had on April 17 reported that Shettima lambasted the Chairman of NAHCON, Prof Saleh-Usman, for allegedly running the affairs of Nigerian pilgrims as though he were a Sole Administrator.
Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has summoned the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) Prof. Abdullahi Saleh Usman and board members of the commission for a meeting at the Vice President’s Conference Room.
A letter of invitation signed by Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Office of the Vice President, Sen. Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, revealed that the meeting slated for Tuesday was to brief the Vice President on preparation for the 2025 Hajj and outstanding issues.
The invitation read, “I have been directed to instruct you to attend a meeting with the Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima on Tuesday 22nd April 2025 at the Vice President’s Conference Room at 1.30pm along with all other board members of the National Hajj Commission.”
“Please ensure that you notify the other board members accordingly and come along with a short brief on preparedness for the 2025 hajj operation and any outstanding issues in that regard.”
ThePeople’s insight had on April 17 reported that Shettima lambasted the Chairman of NAHCON, Prof Saleh-Usman, for allegedly running the affairs of Nigerian pilgrims as though he were a Sole Administrator.
Shettima had issued the warning in an official communique, following serious allegations of misconduct and violations within the commission.
The letter, dated March 17, 2025, and signed by Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, pointed out several issues, including violations of procurement processes, misconduct, sidelining of board members, and the illegal appointment of aides.
Shettima’s letter, titled ‘Re-Deliberate Exclusion from the Exercise of Oversight Functions,’ expressed strong concern over the NAHCON chairman’s approach.
Shettima condemned Usman’s method of appointing committees to make decisions on behalf of the board, which he claimed violated the commission’s act.
“The act does not envisage a sole administrator role and each member has a responsibility to the zone or entity he or she represents, especially with regards all decisions relating to pilgrims’ welfare,” Shettima wrote.
The Vice President also noted that the board members had raised these concerns during a meeting on February 4, 2025, in which Usman reportedly acknowledged the lapses but failed to address them.
“Their letter states that they raised these issues at a meeting where the chairman acknowledged and apologised for the lapses but apparently did nothing to address them going forward,” he stated.
In the letter, Shettima had reminded Usman of the provisions of the NAHCON Act, highlighting that all reference to the powers and regulatory responsibilities of the commission referred to the commission as a whole, not just the chairman.
He further warned Usman to ensure that board members were treated according to the act to avoid rendering them redundant.
“All major decisions of the commission must be in compliance with the law,” Shettima added.
This stern warning came after a petition from NAHCON’s board members, dated March 13, 2025, accusing Usman of deliberately excluding them from their statutory oversight responsibilities.
The petition, titled “Deliberate exclusion from the oversight functions,” was signed by eight non-permanent commissioners representing the six geo-political zones and other key groups, such as the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Jama’atul Nasril Islam (JNI).
Additionally, the Association of Senior Civil Servants in Nigeria raised concerns over alleged favouritism in the placement of pool officers and the unfair treatment of commission workers.Their letter, dated March 3, 2025, addressed to NAHCON’s executive council and board, accused the commission of administrative lapses.
In a separate communication, Shettima also objected to Usman’s decision to rehire former or external staff on a contract basis, urging him to reverse such decisions to avoid creating redundancy within the commission.
“His Excellency the Vice President has expressed a strong objection to rehiring former staff of the commission on contract basis or engaging external civil servants to the detriment of your staff,” the letter stated.
Shettima also highlighted a breach of State House protocol in handling official correspondence, stressing that hand-delivering letters directly to personnel violated established procedures.
“Hand carrying official correspondence and passing, same to individual personnel is a flagrant breach of State House external mail protocol and will not be tolerated,” the letter concluded.
Staff members within the commission voiced their approval of Shettima’s intervention, with one official commenting, “We are happy with Vice President Shettima’s intervention. It is long overdue.”
However, other staff members criticised Usman’s actions, labelling his leadership as “toxic” and calling for his removal to prevent further harm to the 2025 Hajj operations.
In addition to these concerns, allegations surfaced that Usman had appointed family members to key positions within the commission, including his son Aliyu as a personal assistant, his brother Surajo as a special adviser, and his nephew Abdulmalik Diggi as special adviser and deputy director of accounts.
Some officials called for the redeployment of Abubakar, Usman’s protective detail, who was accused of interfering in the commission’s operations instead of focusing on security.
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