National
NAHCON gives breakdown of N90bn subsidy for 2024 Hajj
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Monday gave a breakdown of how it spent the N90 billion Federal Government’s subsidy for the 2024 Hajj pilgrims.
The Executive Chairman of NAHCON, Malam Jalal Arabi, gave the breakdown at a news breifing in Abuja.
Arabi said that each pilgrim was supported with N1,637,369.87 from the N90 billion except for pilgrims under the Hajj Savings Scheme (HSS) who enjoyed more.
He said, ” How to spread this N90 billion equitably, to such a degree that registered pilgrims would not have to pay additionally to the N4.9m, was tough.
” At first, the N90 billion would only cater conveniently for about 18,000 intending pilgrims out of the about 50,000 duly registered persons as at March 22, 2024.
” Subsequently, appreciation of the Naira to N1, 474.00 in the month of May 2024 brought respite to our calculations as it meant a reduction from what the registered pilgrims would have to top up.”
Arabi explained that NAHCON devised a distribution strategy which played a crucial role in ensuring that all the stakeholders associated with the 2024 Hajj benefited from the financial stability through the Federal Government’s support.
He said. ” Each pilgrim was supported with N1,637,369.87 from the N90 billion except for pilgrims under the Hajj Savings Scheme (HSS) who enjoyed more.
” Hence, all registered intending pilgrims, except those on HSS, were required to pay a balance of N1,918,094.87 since the N90 billion was not sufficient to make up for the balance.
” However, new registrants were asked to pay N8, 454,464.74 being exempted from the Federal Government’s intervention.”
Arabi also said that it was on record that eligible officials and stakeholders from all the tiers of government enjoyed the subsidy from the money.
On the pilgrims’ Basic Travel Allowance (BTA), he said that the commission, in agreement with the state pilgrims’ representatives, approved a BTA of $500 per pilgrim.
This, according to him, was part of measures put in place to reduce the cost of Hajj fare.
Arabi said,” As at April 24, 2024 when NAHCON remitted the pilgrims’ BTA into their respective States Pilgrims Welfare Boards accounts, the Dollar exchange rate was N1,252 to a dollar.
” Based on this rate, N626,000 was paid for the value of 500 dollars .
” However, the banks later issued BTA to pilgrims at a rate higher than N626 depending on the cost of foreign exchange at the time the respective states requested for the BTAs.
” This caused a shortfall to the original value.”
He said that the commission expected that the banks were supposed to honour the exchange rate obtainable on April 24, 2014, the day the BTA was deposited and to pay the pilgrims based on that rate.
Arabi assured that going forward, NAHCON would engage the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to avoid future occurrence.
He added that NAHCON would continue to assess and improve its processes to better serve the pilgrims and uphold the sanctity and significance of Hajj.
Arabi said, ” Be rest assured that NAHCON remains committed to transparency and accountability in all aspects of our operations.
” We will continuously seek to improve our processes to ensure equitable access to facilities and services for all the pilgrims, thereby upholding the sanctity and inclusivity of the Hajj experience.” (NAN)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially dissolved the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), which includes the removal of Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) Mele Kyari and Chairman Pius Akinyelure, along with all other board members appointed in November 2023.
In an announcement, the President introduced an 11-member restructured board, appointing Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new GCEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida as the Non-Executive Chairman. These changes are effective immediately, as stated by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy.
Emphasizing the need for “enhanced operational efficiency, restored investor confidence, and a more commercially viable NNPC,” President Tinubu exercised his authority under Section 59(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 to implement this significant reorganization.
The newly formed board comprises Adedapo Segun, who continues as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), alongside six non-executive directors representing Nigeria’s geopolitical zones: Bello Rabiu (North West), Yusuf Usman (North East), Babs Omotowa (North Central), Austin Avuru (South-South), David Ige (South West), and Henry Obih (South East). Additionally, Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, and Aminu Said Ahmed, representing the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, will serve on the board.
The President has charged the new board with conducting a strategic review of NNPC-operated and Joint Venture assets to optimize value. This includes increasing crude oil production to 2 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2027 and 3 million bpd by 2030, boosting gas production to 8 billion cubic feet daily by 2027 and 10 billion by 2030, and expanding NNPC’s refining capacity to 200,000 bpd by 2027 and 500,000 bpd by 2030. The administration also aims to attract $30 billion in oil investments by 2027 and $60 billion by 2030, building on the $17 billion secured in 2024.
Ahmadu Musa Kida, the new Chairman, is a Borno-born engineer and former Deputy Managing Director of Total Nigeria. He also has a background in basketball, having served as the ex-president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF). Bashir Bayo Ojulari, the newly appointed GCEO, hails from Kwara State and was previously the Executive Vice President of Renaissance Africa Energy, where he led a $2.4 billion acquisition of Shell’s Nigerian assets. He brings extensive experience from Elf and Shell, having worked across Europe and the Middle East.
President Tinubu expressed gratitude to the outgoing board for their contributions, particularly their efforts in reviving the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, which have resumed production after years of dormancy. Analysts view this leadership change as part of Tinubu’s broader reforms in the oil sector, following last year’s removal of fuel subsidies and the promotion of private refinery investments. With the new team established, there are high expectations for enhanced transparency, efficiency, and profitability within Nigeria’s state oil enterprise.
Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state for petroleum resources, says the federal government plans to commence implementing the drill-or-drop provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Section 94 of the PIA gives operators a period of three years to begin oil production or relinquish the assets to the federal government.
Speaking during the Cross Industry Group (CIG) meeting held on Tuesday in Florence, Italy, Lokpobiri said it is in the best interest of the country that all inactive wells go to work.
He said the federal government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, has provided every necessary incentive to ensure international oil companies (IOCs) in Nigeria run smoothly and profitably.
“Now, it is imperative for these industry players to match the government’s efforts with increased investment by announcing final investment decisions (FIDs),” he said.
Furthermore, Lokpobiri discussed “the challenges, expectations, and measures to enhance the sector’s contributions towards domestic energy needs and regional expansion across Sub-Saharan Africa”.
He emphasised that while IOCs have highlighted engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors as a challenge, “EPCs will not come unless they see strong commitments from industry players”.
“The government has done its part to provide the requisite and investment-friendly fiscals, the ball is now in the court of the IOCs and other operators to make strategic investment decisions that will drive increased production and sustainability in the sector,” he said.
“We must also recognise that domestic crude supply is essential to national energy security. The best solution to this challenge lies in increasing production, which will ensure a balance between domestic supply obligations and external commitments.”
The minister further urged industry players to explore collaborative measures, such as shared resources for contiguous assets and the release of underutilised assets to operators ready to invest in production.
The minority caucus in the house of representatives has condemned the killing of 16 Kano-bound hunters in Edo state.
On Thursday, a mob in the Uromi area of Edo killed 16 hunters of northern descent who were travelling from Elele, Rivers state.
The travellers were attacked and lynched after some vigilance group members raised the alarm on suspicion that they were kidnappers.
The Edo state government said 14 suspects arrested in connection with the killing would be transferred to Abuja for further interrogation.
During a visit to some of the families of the victims at Bankure LGA in Kano, Monday Okpebholo, governor of Edo, assured that justice would be served.
In a statement issued on Monday, the minority caucus described the killing of the hunters as “barbaric”.
“We find such brutal killings of innocent Nigerians in any part of the country by lawless mobs very reprehensible, and if allowed to fester without being put in check by responsible organs of the federal government, such actions could threaten the peace and unity of the country,” the statement reads.
The lawmakers asked Nigerians never to resort to jungle attacks on fellow citizens but to always report any concerns to security agencies.
“We are a nation under the rule of laws, and our law enforcement agencies are always available to partner with every Nigerian to assuage their concerns,” the caucus said.
While noting that the incident is “already setting emotions on edge” in parts of the country, the legislators urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure that the security agencies investigate this matter and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“Also, adequate compensation should be paid to the affected families,” the caucus said.
The lawmakers implored Nigerians to remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding and allow the federal and state governments to investigate the matter and ensure justice is served.
The statement was signed by Kingsley Chinda, minority leader; Ali Isa, minority whip; and Aliyu Madaki, deputy minority leader.