President Bola Tinubu has dismissed the Executive Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Jalal Arabi, over fraud and other gross misconduct, barely a year after his appointment.
To avoid any leadership vacuum at the commission, the president has appointed an Islamic scholar, Prof. Abdullahi Usman, as the new Chairman for NAHCON.
The removal of the former NAHCON boss came hours after The Guild investigations revealed that the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC) had discovered over N10 billion belonging to the commission, which had been transferred to different companies’ accounts within the country and abroad.
Aside from that, Arabi and other high-ranking officials at the commission were said to have returned SR314,098 (Saudi Riyal) to the anti-graft agency after they were quizzed over their involvement in the misappropriation and fraud that had crippled the affairs of NAHCON.
The series of frauds linked to Arabi and other officials prompted President Tinubu to remove Arabi and replace him with Usman, before leaving the country for France on Monday.
The new developments at the commission were revealed through a statement released by Ajuri Ngelale, the President’s spokesman.
Meanwhile, Arabi’s successor appointment will be determined by the Senate which is prepared to drill Usman considering the fraud rocking the commission.
According to the statement, “Professor Usman is a renowned scholar with qualifications from two Islamic centres of excellence — the University of Madinah and Peshawar University, Pakistan.
“He is also well-grounded in Hajj operations, having served as the Chairman of the Kano State Pilgrims Board, and successfully superintended the operations of the largest quota of state pilgrims in the country.
“The President expects the new Chairman of NAHCON to discharge his duties with integrity, transparency, and utmost fidelity to the nation”.
