Re: Hajj Reporters: Watchdog or lapdog?

This SMPWB is outraged because the press statement by the Independent Hajj Reporters on the sales of hajj seats caught it red handed feasting on illegality and superciliousness. The article was pregnant with all the ingredients of impulsive aggression and adult manifestation of guilt. Though the ghost writer claimed to be from Kano but going by […]

This SMPWB is outraged because the press statement by the Independent Hajj Reporters on the sales of hajj seats caught it red handed feasting on illegality and superciliousness.
 The article was pregnant with all the ingredients of impulsive aggression and adult manifestation of guilt. Though the ghost writer claimed to be from Kano but going by his inductive reasoning, he clearly emanated from the “obvious suspect” in the recent illegal sales of hajj seats.
 Out of intellectual indolence, the ghost writer used four out of his eight paragraphs in the article to question the emergence or the modus operandi of the Independent Hajj Reporters – as if the role of a registered civil society organization is rocket science, when a simple Google search of “Independent Hajj Reporters” could have educated the writer.
 Let it be clear here that the press state-ment issued by Independent Hajj Reporters is a harmless advice urging states pilgrim’s boards not to sell hajj seats now to avoid the usual hajj seat racketeering. Why did this inoffensive statement raise the angry antenna of a state pilgrim’s board remain is a puzzle.
 In the performance of its role as a civil society that aimed at deepening transparency and a hitch free hajj exercise, Independent Hajj Reporters has had cause to issue public statements to caution or appreciate NAHCON, as well as other stakeholders in Hajj operation, when the need arises. We are not watchdog but only report and comment about hajj operation and Umrah and encourage hajj stakeholders to do the right things for the benefit of pilgrims and Muslims.
 There are numerous other examples of Independent Hajj Reporters engaging in non-partisan activities.
Hypocritically, the writer admitted that in essence, there was a directive from NAHCON via a letter dated 3d February 2015, sent to state governors and copied SMPWBs “not to commence sale of seat to intending pilgrims until they receive their seat allocation from the commission.”
 According to the letter and as stated in the fifth paragraph of the ghost writer’s piece “NAHCON will meet the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj on March 19 in order to sign the Memorandum of Understanding for Hajj 2015. At that meeting, the hajj slots allocated to Nigeria will be unveiled.”
 Here comes the puzzle: If actually all SMPWBs received such directive, why would a SMPWB arrogantly violated the directive from its apex regulating body and go ahead to flag- off sales of hajj seats?
As for accusation of corruption that the writer levelled against NAHCON, it is not the responsibility of Independent Hajj Reporters to respond for the commission. However, if the writer has his facts and figures against the commission, our advice to him is to go to anti corruption agencies and tabled his case. On the issue of service delivery, we are aware that the commission placed an advertorial on the pages of newspapers urging individuals or organisations who have complain on Hajj to forward it to the commission. One is amazed that the author, who is a head of a state pilgrims’ board, has to wait for so long before he speaks.

Ibrahim Muhammad, National Coor-dinator, Independent Hajj Reporters <[email protected]>;