Bilkisu Adejoh
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has praised the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for launching an investigation into the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) over allegations of misappropriating ₦90 billion in Hajj subsidies.
In a recent statement, the ICPC revealed that several NAHCON officials were arrested on Wednesday after they failed to respond to an invitation from the anti-graft agency.
The spokesperson for the ICPC, Demola Bakare, clarified the situation, saying, “We are investigating officials of the National Hajj Commission because they either failed or refused to honour the invitation. We, therefore, paid them a friendly visit.”
CISLAC’s Executive Director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, expressed deep concern over reports of widespread misappropriation of funds during this year’s Hajj.
Rafsanjani emphasized that many pilgrims received substandard services despite the significant government subsidies allocated for their welfare.
“We commend the ICPC’s efforts to expose this monumental fraud and urge them to ensure that corruption is rooted out of our public institutions,” Rafsanjani stated.
As the head of Transparency International Nigeria (TI-Nigeria), Rafsanjani highlighted the pervasive impact of corruption on the nation’s socio-economic well-being.
He noted that persistent fraud and institutional failures have played a significant role in the deepening poverty crisis in Nigeria.
“The level of fraud and disregard for institutional integrity have plunged millions of Nigerians into abject poverty while a few individuals amass wealth at the expense of the general populace,” he lamented.
He referenced recent statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which indicate that over 133 million Nigerians are currently living in multidimensional poverty.
He further argued that the diversion of public funds meant for the welfare of citizens has only worsened the nation’s socio-economic challenges.
CISLAC Boss called on the ICPC to continue its efforts to eradicate corruption from public institutions, pointing to Nigeria’s low ranking on the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index as a clear indicator of the urgent need for reform.
As the investigation unfolds, CISLAC reiterated its stance against corruption, urging for immediate reforms to restore integrity within public institutions.
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