Vice President Kashim Shettima has issued a stern directive to the Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Prof. Abdullahi Saleh-Usman, cautioning him against operating the commission as though it were a one-man show.
In an official communication addressed to the NAHCON boss, the vice president expressed concerns about alleged violations of procurement protocols, improper appointments, and the marginalization of board members.
Dated March 17, 2025, the letter—bearing reference number SH/OVP/DCOS/NAHCON and titled ‘Re-Deliberate Exclusion from the Exercise of Oversight Functions’—was signed by Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President in the Office of the Vice President.
Shettima criticized the chairman’s practice of forming committees to make key decisions, arguing that such actions bypass the collective authority granted to the board under the commission’s legal framework.
“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,” Mr Shettima warned.
He further referenced concerns raised at a February 4, 2025 meeting where the chairman was said to have acknowledged certain lapses but failed to address them afterward.
“Their letter states that they raised these issues at a meeting on February 4th 2025 where the chairman acknowledged and apologised for the lapses but apparently did nothing to address them going forward,” the VP said.
“Accordingly, His Excellency the Vice President has asked that your attention be drawn to the provisions of the NAHCON act especially the supplementary provisions governing the proceedings of the commission where all reference to the powers and regulatory responsibility of the commission refers to it as a whole,” the letter said.
Shettima urged Prof. Usman to ensure that board members are actively involved in decision-making, warning against rendering them redundant.
“To ensure that the members of the commission are given their due as envisaged by the NAHCON act so that they are not rendered redundant and to ensure that all major decisions of the commission are in compliance with the law,” the VP emphasized.
This intervention follows a petition submitted by eight non-permanent commissioners of NAHCON. Dated March 13, 2025, and titled “Deliberate exclusion from the oversight functions,” the petition accused the chairman of sidelining them from their statutory duties.