Rejoinder: Clarification On Taraba Hajj Delegation and Welfare Arrangements for 2026
By Hamza Baba Muri
Our attention has been drawn to a publication titled, “Call for Immediate Removal of Taraba Pilgrims Board Executive Secretary Over Hajj Delegation Scandal.” The Taraba State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board considers it necessary to clarify the issues raised in the publication in the interest of the 716 intending pilgrims and the general public.
The claim that the Taraba contingent has “no Amirul Hajj, no medical doctor, and no support team” is false and misleading.
The Board has already deployed an experienced medical team led by Dr. Ado Kara, who serves as the Medical Director attached to the delegation. Dr. Kara has worked in the pilgrims’ healthcare unit for more than a decade and remains the most experienced pilgrims’ healthcare doctor in the state.
He personally supervised the screening and vaccination of all 716 intending pilgrims within two weeks at Ummah Clinic, Jalingo, and will accompany the contingent throughout the Hajj exercise in Saudi Arabia.
The allegation that the delegation lacks Islamic scholars is equally inaccurate. The team includes the Chief Imam of Suntai, Malam Musa Usman, and the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ulama, JIBWIS Taraba State, Sheikh Umar Ibrahim Bello.
Both scholars will provide religious guidance, counselling, and lectures to pilgrims during camping and throughout their stay in Saudi Arabia.
It is also important to note that Malam Musa Usman received government sponsorship last year but could not travel due to visa-related issues.
On the issue of the Amirul Hajj, the Board acknowledges the importance of the office in monitoring pilgrims’ welfare and coordinating leadership responsibilities during Hajj operations.
However, this year’s arrangement was shaped by prevailing financial realities. Governor Agbu Kefas openly explained the situation to both the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Muslim Council, stating that the government decided to prioritize the payment of accumulated gratuities owed to retired civil servants over expanded pilgrimage sponsorships. Both religious bodies accepted and understood the government’s position.
To ensure proper monitoring and oversight, the government included the Special Adviser on Muslim Pilgrims Affairs in the delegation to perform supervisory responsibilities usually associated with the Amirul Hajj.
The composition of the official delegation was not arbitrary. The Board unanimously approved the selected officials after carefully assessing the operational requirements necessary for a successful Hajj exercise.
The acting Executive Secretary, Director of Finance, Head of ICT, Medical Director, and Special Adviser on Muslim Pilgrims Affairs now oversee finance, logistics, communication, data management, real-time pilgrim tracking, manifest coordination, and liaison responsibilities with the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria and Saudi authorities.
Hajj operations involve sensitive administrative and welfare responsibilities. Excluding these critical offices would have created operational gaps capable of affecting the smooth coordination of the pilgrimage exercise.
The Board’s priority remains the safety, welfare, and successful airlift of all 716 intending pilgrims, not the unnecessary expansion of the delegation.
The Board also wishes to emphasize that Hajj remains a spiritual exercise and not a political activity. For this reason, the Board prioritized medical screening, vaccination, and religious orientation ahead of camping activities.
All pilgrims are currently in good condition, while arrangements for the airlift scheduled to commence on May 11, 2026, have already been concluded.
We therefore urge members of the public to disregard the call for the removal of the Executive Secretary and dissolution of the Board. The Taraba State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board remains committed to transparency, accountability, fairness, and the welfare of every Taraba pilgrim, regardless of background or literacy level.
For further clarification, members of the public may visit the Board’s office at the Hajj Camp, Model Primary School, Jalingo.
Hamza Baba Muri is the Assistant Director, Information of the Taraba State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Jalingo.
