A fresh crisis is rocking the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) over alleged nepotism, witch-hunt, vendetta in the postings and redeployments of its staff.
The development has degenerated into confusion at the Hajj commission headquarters in Abuja this week when a circular and a list of staff postings were released, but it was cancelled hours later by the chairman, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman (Pakistan), and then reissued.
On Friday, September 5, 2025, the Hajj commission in a statement signed and released by its spokesperson Fatima Sanda Usara, announced the redeployment and promotion of some of its staff as parts of ongoing reforms.
The statement, entitled; “Minor Shake-up in NAHCON, Board Approves Reforms,” announced that the reforms were approved by the NAHCON Board at its 14th sitting held between 26th and 27th August, 2025.
“The Board’s decision was taken primarily to eliminate redundancy and reposition the Commission for enhanced effective and efficient service delivery. This step was also taken to motivate staff towards higher performance,” Mrs Usara said.
On September 9, 2025, the commission posted a three-page staff redeployment list titled “First Batch of 2025 Staff Redeployment” on the NAHCON staff WhatsApp platform. The list included a total of 64 staff members – mainly directorate cadre and middle-cadre workers.
On September 2025, Mr Pakistan issued an internal circular, where he cancelled the redeployment, and directed the affected staff members to maintain status quo and disregard the redeployment. He said, “the posting was done in flagrant violation of due process and laid down procedures of the commission….”
The circular, personally signed by Professor Pakistan, was dated September 10, 2025, with reference number NA/AI/78/1, and addressed to all the commissioners and general staff.
Entitled, “First Batch of 2025 Staff Redeployment,” the NAHCON chairman said, “Sequel to the above subject, I hereby inform the entire staff of the Commission that they should disregard and ignore the earlier redeployment posted on the NAHCON platform on the 9th day of September, 2025.
“The posting was done in flagrant violation of due process and laid down procedures of the Commission, which shall not be condoned in any form.
“In view of the above, all staff affected are enjoined and directed to maintain the status quo until further necessary directive is given. This is for your immediate compliance, please.”
However, a just few hours after cancelling the postings, Mr Pakistan again issued a second circular, with reference number NAHCON/AI/78/I, personally signed by him and addressed to all newly posted and reassigned staff, dated September 10, 2025, congratulating the affected staff members.
In the circular, entitled “Congratulations on your new posting,” the chairman told the affected staff that: “Your new responsibilities provide fresh opportunities to demonstrate professionalism, commitment and excellence.”
“I have no doubt that you will continue to uphold the highest standard of service and contribute positively to the growth and success of our nation. As you take up your assignment, I wish you smooth transitions,” Mr Pakistan said.
This newspaper observed that the new list of staff redeployment contained 68 names against the 64 in the first list.
CASES OF NEPOTISM AND WITCH-HUNT
Many insiders, who confided in this newspaper, said aside the fact that the redeployment was done not in compliance with Federal Government Public Service Rules, it was also influenced by nepotism, witch-hunt and vendetta.
Insiders drew attention to Mr Pakistan’s signing of the two internal circulars — describing it as one of the by-products of his zero-understanding of the public service regulations.
“This redeployment has further exposed the NAHCON Chairman (Pakistan)’s progressing incapacity and wanton ignorance of public service rules and general administration. What he simply did was to put a square peg in a round hole because of gross incompetence, personal vendetta, and witch-hunt,” a top officer in the commission told this newspaper on Thursday.
Many staff members who spoke to our reporters but requested anonymity have corroborated the senior officer’s claims – saying the redeployment exercise was done to punish staff members in the chairman’s ‘black book,’ and reward his “yes men” –without considering the consequences on the general wellbeing of the commission.
The staff members in Mr Pakistan’s ‘black book,’ insiders said, are majorly those who refused to cover up at the ongoing corruption investigations — adjudged to be of monumental proportions— being conducted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
ABUSE OF PUBLIC SERVICE RULES
Many of the postings were at variance with the Federal Government Public Service Rules, this newspaper can report authoritatively.
For instance, the PSR prohibits posting of officers outside their professional cadres. Section 020602 (ii) states unambiguously that “Posting of Officers to posts outside their Professional cadres is prohibited.
A thorough analysis of the redeployment list has shown that there are many cases of officers being posted outside their professional cadres.
Mr Namaska S. Shehu, a Level 15 officer, was posted from the Procurement Cadre to the Research and Statistics Unit. Aside violating the PSR, this redeployment is also a clear transgression of the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP) circular — that warned against posting procurement officers outside their cadre.
Mr Bashir Aliyu, a Level 12 officer, was announced as the new head of the Procurement Unit.
Another case is that of the transfer of a substantive director, Admin and Human Resources, Ibrahim Idris Mahmud (Level 17). He was transferred to the Policy and Planning Unit, and was replaced by Mr Alidu Shutti, a director from the Information Unit. This also violated the order of the Head of Service of the Federation (HoSF) that prohibits posting non-administrative officers to head administrative departments.
A Level 16 officer, Wali Gana, who was supposed to be at the headquarters, was posted to the Maiduguri Outreach Office without a schedule. There was Ishaq Jae Ibrahim, a Level 14 officer, who was said to be very dynamic, was moved from SOC to the Hajj Institute of Nigeria (HIN).
Not only that, Mustapha Abbas, a Level 15 officer from Research and Statistics, was transferred to the Sokoto Zonal Outreach Office. Also, Mr Suleiman Abdullahi, a Level 13 officer from the M&E Abuja, was transferred to the Sokoto Zonal Outreach Office.
“Majority of the postings were done in clear violation of the Civil Servants Rules,” another staff member of the commission told this newspaper.
Many of the NAHCON workers have expressed joy over the posting out of Mr Pakistan’s biological brother Sirajo Salisu Usman, and nephew Abdulmalik Diggi, from the commission.
Mr Diggi, was deputy director (accounts) and special adviser (general services) to the C/CEO; while Mr Sirajo served as deputy director (C/CEO). They were seconded to the commission when Pakistan came on board.
The staff, however, condemned the posting of Haruna Danbaba as SA General Duties to the chairman. The staff said Mr Danbaba held the same position under Mr Zikirullah Kunle Hassan’s administration. “He was involved in most of the corruption allegations perpetrated under that administration,” one of the NAHCON staff members said.
A source at the EFCC has confirmed to our reporter that Mr Danbaba was indeed investigated by the anti-graft agency over visa and Hajj seats racketeering; and huge money was recovered from him. He was granted administrative bail alongside Mr Zikirullah and other top management officers.
