Independent Hajj Reporters, has said that some states Muslim pilgrims welfare boards have refused to respond to its Freedom of Information, FOI, request on the number of intending pilgrims that paid for hadaya (animal sacrifice) money through Jaiz bank as directed by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON.
A statement jointly signed by its national coordinator Ibrahim Muhammed and publicity secretary Abubakar Mahmoud in Abuja on Friday.
The statement said; “On 25th of June 2019, we wrote an FOI request to the states relying on the provisions of Sections 1&2 of the Freedom of Information Act, FOIA, 2011.
The organisation said it sought for the following information: “The total registered number of 2019 hajj pilgrims; the total number of pilgrims that paid for Hadayya through Jaiz Bank and their names, contact numbers and registration numbers as well as the total number of pilgrims that paid through State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards, their names and registration numbers.”
The letters were sent to Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Niger, FCT, and Yobe State Muslim Pilgrims Board.
On 18th July, a reminder was dispatched to the above-listed state boards through their official email addresses.
However, only Yobe and Kaduna states officially responded to the request as at the time of issuing this public statement.
The remaining states whose letters were sent later are also yet to respond.
The civil society said it is working with some anti-corruption agencies to monitor how the process of hadaya will be conducted during the hajj this year. It also promise to make it’s findings public.
“We have concluded all necessary arrangements to ensure that we monitor how pilgrims conduct their hadaya this year. We are also aware that some states have collected hadaya money from pilgrims without issuing them receipt.
“These acts negate open transparency and we have begun to identify previous methods used to scam pilgrims by some dubious agents in collaboration with top state pilgrims boards officials,” the statement said.
It was also recalled that NAHCON has approved Jaiz Bank as the only official Hadaya collector for 2019 hajj.
The statement also said the selection and approval of Jaiz bank was based on the latter status as the only Islamic Bank approved by Islamic Development Bank, IDB, to facilitate hadaya payment.
The IDB is the Saudi Arabian approved Hadaya financial institution licensed to carry out hadaya on behalf of pilgrims coming to Saudi Arabia to perform hajj.
