Bring back hajj commission to foreign ministry, minister urges

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hajia Khadijah Bukar Abba, has said that the National Hajj Commission, the body overseeing Nigerian Muslim pilgrims’ activities, should be returned to the ministry. In talks with the House of Representatives Committee on Nigeria-Saudi Arabia Parliamentary Friendship & Hajj Affairs in Abuja, she said it is “worrying” that […]

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hajia Khadijah Bukar Abba, has said that the National Hajj Commission, the body overseeing Nigerian Muslim pilgrims’ activities, should be returned to the ministry.

In talks with the House of Representatives Committee on Nigeria-Saudi Arabia Parliamentary Friendship & Hajj Affairs in Abuja, she said it is “worrying” that the ministry, which signs agreements relating to hajj management with Saudi government, does not actually control the running of hajj affairs.

 “The Hajj Commission is under the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) office. We only get second hand information regarding hajj affairs from the Chairman of the commission.

“The ministry signs agreements and policies related to hajj but unfortunately, we don’t actually control the hajj commission,” she said.

She said there is no point in the ministry signing the MoUs when the running of hajj affairs is not domiciled there.

The minister therefore appealed to the legislators to assist in getting the commission back to the ministry, noting that in diplomacy, a country relates with government of other country.

“We are appealing to you, if there is any way in the legislation that can assist us in getting back the hajj commission to the ministry because it was domiciled in the foreign affairs ministry before taking to SGF office.

“Whenever there is any issue regarding Nigerian Muslim pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, they run to the consulate but then the running of the affairs is not domiciled here,” she said.

Earlier in his address, the Chairman of the committee, Abdullahi Balarabe appealed for the ministry’s support in achieving its mandate, which he said focused on parliamentary diplomacy and hajj management