Hands Off Hajj Issues, Sultan Tells FG

*Says Muslims not terrorists

The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Nigerian Supreme
Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar,
on Wednesday called on the Federal Government to completely
hands-off Hajj issues in the country as being done in other
countries.

This is even as the spiritual head of the Muslim community in
Nigeria declared that Muslims were not terrorists.

The Sultan stated these when he paid a visit to the Hajj House
headquarters of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) in
Abuja.

According to him, there was the need for the Hajj commission to
be independent of government, adding that he had been repeatedly
saying this every year Hajj report was being submitted to the
government.

He called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to work with the
Muslim community with a view to achieving NAHCON’s independent,
saying that the money being realised from Hajj operations would go
a long way in sustaining the commission.

“I am happy that NAHCON is trying to be self-reliant which will
make the Federal Government hands-off Hajj issues like it’s being
done in Malaysia, Indonesia and other countries.

“Whenever we submitted Hajj reports, I always told former
President Goodluck Jonathan that the Federal Government shall
hands-off Hajj issue. We want the CBN to work with us in this
regard,” the Sultan said.

Making a veiled reference to the current insecurity situation in
the country, Alhaji Abubakar declared that Muslims were not
terrorists, though they were some bad elements within its fold.

According to the Sultan, “we have told the whole world that
Islam is not a religion of terrorists, that Muslims are not
terrorists. There is nowhere I have not spoken about this, even
outside the country. From the White House in the US to Charttan
House in London I have always told them, that we are not
terrorists.

“Of course we have some bandits among us but it doesn’t mean
Islam or Muslims should be referred to as criminals.

“I am a proud Fulani man and I am not a bandit. I will still
like to come back to this world as a Fulani man. Of course among
Fulanis there are very bad people, there are criminals just like
you have in Yoruba, Ibo, Ibibio and all other languages we have in
the world,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Sultan charged the NAHCON board led by its
Chairman, Alhaji Dhikrullah Kunle Hassan, to their best for Islam
and the Muslim Ummah, adding that they should build on the
successes recorded in the past by previous boards.

Speaking earlier in his welcome address, Hassan said that the
Sultan visit to the commission was coming barely one year after the
fourth board of NAHCON took over the affairs.

According to him, the new board had made effort to
professionalism the Hajj industry in Nigeria, adding that this
would be done through the Hajj Training Institute, which would soon
become operational before the end of the year.

He further informed that the board had begun the process of
transforming NAHCON’s activities from manual to digital as well as
resolved to intensify the drive for internally generated revenue
(IGR) through the facilitation of the Infrastructure Concession and
Regulatory Commission.

He informed that this would be done through public-private
partnership to develop some Hajj camps and their landed properties
so that they become busy throughout the year instead of only during
Hajj periods.

*Says Muslims not terrorists

The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Nigerian Supreme
Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar,
on Wednesday called on the Federal Government to completely
hands-off Hajj issues in the country as being done in other
countries.

This is even as the spiritual head of the Muslim community in
Nigeria declared that Muslims were not terrorists.

The Sultan stated these when he paid a visit to the Hajj House
headquarters of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) in
Abuja.

According to him, there was the need for the Hajj commission to
be independent of government, adding that he had been repeatedly
saying this every year Hajj report was being submitted to the
government.

He called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to work with the
Muslim community with a view to achieving NAHCON’s independent,
saying that the money being realised from Hajj operations would go
a long way in sustaining the commission.

“I am happy that NAHCON is trying to be self-reliant which will
make the Federal Government hands-off Hajj issues like it’s being
done in Malaysia, Indonesia and other countries.

“Whenever we submitted Hajj reports, I always told former
President Goodluck Jonathan that the Federal Government shall
hands-off Hajj issue. We want the CBN to work with us in this
regard,” the Sultan said.

Making a veiled reference to the current insecurity situation in
the country, Alhaji Abubakar declared that Muslims were not
terrorists, though they were some bad elements within its fold.

According to the Sultan, “we have told the whole world that
Islam is not a religion of terrorists, that Muslims are not
terrorists. There is nowhere I have not spoken about this, even
outside the country. From the White House in the US to Charttan
House in London I have always told them, that we are not
terrorists.

“Of course we have some bandits among us but it doesn’t mean
Islam or Muslims should be referred to as criminals.

“I am a proud Fulani man and I am not a bandit. I will still
like to come back to this world as a Fulani man. Of course among
Fulanis there are very bad people, there are criminals just like
you have in Yoruba, Ibo, Ibibio and all other languages we have in
the world,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Sultan charged the NAHCON board led by its
Chairman, Alhaji Dhikrullah Kunle Hassan, to their best for Islam
and the Muslim Ummah, adding that they should build on the
successes recorded in the past by previous boards.

Speaking earlier in his welcome address, Hassan said that the
Sultan visit to the commission was coming barely one year after the
fourth board of NAHCON took over the affairs.

According to him, the new board had made effort to
professionalism the Hajj industry in Nigeria, adding that this
would be done through the Hajj Training Institute, which would soon
become operational before the end of the year.

He further informed that the board had begun the process of
transforming NAHCON’s activities from manual to digital as well as
resolved to intensify the drive for internally generated revenue
(IGR) through the facilitation of the Infrastructure Concession and
Regulatory Commission.

He informed that this would be done through public-private
partnership to develop some Hajj camps and their landed properties
so that they become busy throughout the year instead of only during
Hajj periods.