By; Abubakar Jiddah Usman, in Makkah.
In couple of days gone by, the Hajj atmosphere was charged as accusations and counter accusations beclouded the Hajj airspace with blame game amongst it handlers taking centre stage, making clear visibility hazy. As a result, a civil society organisation, Independent Hajj Reporters, called for caution.
It could be said, unequivocally though, with all humility, to say that the exchanges between the operators was sad, unfortunate and uncalled for, is certainly an understatement! For it amounted to washing dirty linings in public.
Of course there is no denying the fact that NAHCON stocked the flame when it descended too law, and heavily too, on some States perceived to be cogs in the wheels of progressively achieving a successful harmonisation of the cherished Hajj Saving Scheme, HSC, and the old Scheme of pay-as-you-go, an approach, in my opinion, the Commission could have avoided and exercise restraints no matter how irked it was with the posturing of those boards agencies and commissions.
It is also a fact that NAHCON has the powers, within the legal framework establishing it, to sanction any Hajj administrator, be it individual, body of individuals and, or government institutions over any operational misdemeanour. With the powers the law gave it, there was no need for that open “attack” on the States, particularly, if the battle of wit that ensured last year on the Hajj Saving Scheme, which up till this very moment remains contentious, between the Commission and the boards and agencies, was taken into consideration.
Yes the Commission could have only explained what was amiss without tagging the States as blackmailers, saboteurs and all negative expressions.
However, at trying moments, as is the situation now; when nerves are frayed and overstretched, flips like this, cannot be totally unexpected.
On the part of the States, one can’t figure out why this belligerent attitude towards NAHCON.
Any keen observer would not fail to notice the not so cordial relationship between the supervisor and the supervised.
One would equally not fail to see that NAHCON was not accorded the deserving respect from its state appendages. One wonders why the no-love-lost relationship!
Could it be that there was more than meets the eyes and none amongst them is willing to come clean or what ? One is compelled to ask these questions because anyone that read the NAHCON act, will not fail to see clear separation of powers and operational guidelines for NAHCON; the regulatory body and those of the State Hajj operators, the regulated entities.
Where then lies the frictions we see every now and then?
It is an undebatable fact that, with sincerity of purpose and respect for rule of law by both sides, all contentious issues could be resolved internally, without unnecessarily coming out gun smoking in public.
Therefore, one would not but implore NAHCON and all Hajj administrators to save themselves in particular and us in general from the embarrassment, hidden tussle coming out barefaced to the public gossip centres could cause. For, that sets tongues wagging that selfishness, greed and corruption are at play.
One therefore implores NAHCON and State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards, Agencies and Commissions to save us and their good selves from this show of shame.
One’s hope and prayers is that, now with the commendable removal of NAHCON from the office of Secretary to Federal Government, SGF, to the office of the Vice President, stakeholders and all earthshakers and movers in Hajj industry and Hajj affairs, would within the shortest possible time, smoothen rough-ages and all grey and contentious areas of friction between the Regulator, NAHCON, and the Regulated, the States Welfare Boards, Agencies and Commissions.
Let us hope that this year’s operation is last we hear of any altercations on Hajj Saving Scheme between those saddled with the responsibility of its smooth running.
Usman, a broadcast journalist writes from Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
