Those who think government has no business sponsoring pilgrims may feel vindicated by news of the arraignment of four persons accused of pilgrimage-related fraud in Adamawa State.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on January 7 arraigned Lucious Mayo, Elisie Yaduwa, Elisha Yahaya and Rhoda Samson on a nine-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, diversion, inflation of contract price, forgery and refusal to make full disclosure of assets.
Acting Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Tony Orilade, said: “Mayo is alleged to have, as Executive Secretary of the state’s Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, connived with Yaduwa, the Director of Finance and Account; Yahaya, Accountant, and Samson, cashier, to divert to personal use, about N132 million out of N347, 848,220 only released in 2016 by the Adamawa State government to cater for the pilgrimage exercise of Christians from the state.” There were other fraud-related allegations against the accused who pleaded “not guilty.”
This case gives an insight into the cost of pilgrimage sponsorship by government. If such money was made available for such sponsorship, it is easy to see why corruption is a possibility. Indeed, before now, there had been allegations of corruption in connection with pilgrimage sponsorship by government.
One of the allegations against the accused in the Adamawa State case shows that there is a range of possible corruption methods as regards pilgrimage sponsorship by government. EFCC said: “Furthermore, investigation has proved that the former Executive Secretary of the Board sold registration forms to 1,569 intending pilgrims in the year 2016 at N10, 000 each, amounting to N15.69m. Despite that, majority was sponsored by the Adamawa State Government, and the money was never remitted to the board’s account.”
It is noteworthy that in 2015 Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai was quoted as saying the state had saved N221.8m following its decision to stop pilgrimage sponsorship. His argument that the state had to save money to be able to address pressing problems, especially concerning education and health, had the force of sound logic.
Whether government-sponsored pilgrims are Christians or Muslims, it is unjustifiable to use scarce funds for pilgrimage sponsorship to the detriment of development. The possibility that sponsorship funds can end up in the pockets of officials responsible for organising pilgrimages is a further reason to rethink government-sponsored pilgrimages.
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