Mutfwang Defends Plateau’s Spending on Hajj Sponsorship
By Abdulrazaq Auwal
Plateau State Governor, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, has defended his administration’s spending on the annual Hajj pilgrimage, describing the sponsorship of Muslim pilgrims as an investment in peace, stability and social cohesion rather than political patronage.
Mutfwang said government support for Hajj was part of his administration’s broader responsibility to promote peaceful coexistence and ensure that citizens across religious and political divides felt included in the affairs of the state.
The governor spoke on Thursday while receiving the report of the 2026 Hajj operation at the New Government House, Rayfield, Jos.
According to a statement by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere, Mutfwang said sustainable development could not be achieved in an environment characterised by religious distrust and communal tensions.
“For us, it is an investment in peace and stability of our state,” the governor said, urging citizens to look beyond the immediate financial cost of pilgrimage sponsorship and consider its potential contribution to peace and social stability.
Mutfwang Defends Plateau’s Spending on Hajj Sponsorship
He explained that his administration’s decision to sponsor pilgrims was also aimed at promoting moral renewal and strengthening citizens’ understanding of their shared humanity.
“For me, sponsoring pilgrims to Hajj or Jerusalem is to deepen the fear of God in the hearts of our people, so that we will know that when the chips are down, we are all human beings before God. None of us is superior to the other,” he said.
Mutfwang said the policy reflected his commitment to inclusive governance, stressing that religious and political differences should not determine access to government support.
He cited the appointment of Ahmed Idris Wase, despite belonging to a different political camp, as Amirul Hajj as evidence of his commitment to bipartisanship.
Earlier, Wase disclosed that the Plateau Government sponsored more than half of the 1,334 pilgrims who participated in the 2026 Hajj, while also providing substantial operational and logistical support to the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board.
He commended the administration for its support, saying the state’s performance earned recognition from the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, which also honoured Governor Mutfwang.
