A member of the Kaduna State Special Hajj Committee, Sheikh Haliru Maraya, has alleged that the 2015 ban on pilgrimage sponsorship introduced by former Kaduna State Governor, , was selectively implemented and affected only Christian pilgrims.
El-Rufai had announced the ban in 2015, citing fiscal prudence and the need to manage the state’s debt profile. At the time, the policy was presented as applying to both Muslim and Christian pilgrimages.
However, speaking at a press briefing on Monday in Kaduna, Sheikh Maraya said subsequent developments revealed a gap between policy pronouncement and implementation.
“At face value, the policy appeared to apply uniformly to both Muslim and Christian pilgrims. However, subsequent developments revealed a divergence between policy pronouncement and policy implementation,” he stated.
According to him, while Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem was halted throughout El-Rufai’s eight-year tenure, sponsorship of Muslim pilgrims to Saudi Arabia continued under alternative classifications. He disclosed that approximately 985 pilgrims were sponsored to Saudi Arabia during the period, comprising 730 officials and 255 sub-officials.
He explained that those classified as officials included medical personnel, clerics and administrative staff assigned to facilitate pilgrimage operations. The second category, later termed “sub-officials,” he said, effectively functioned as direct government sponsorship, covering airfare, accommodation, feeding and Basic Travelling Allowances.
Providing a breakdown, Sheikh Maraya said that in 2015 alone, 95 officials were sponsored. In 2016, 91 officials and 40 sub-officials travelled. In 2017, 89 officials and 30 sub-officials were sponsored, while in 2018, 95 officials and 45 sub-officials benefited. In 2019, 90 officials were sponsored.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted pilgrimage activities in 2020 and 2021, he said sponsorship resumed in 2022 with 100 officials and 40 sub-officials, rising in 2023 to 170 officials and 100 sub-officials.
The cleric said it was necessary to clarify what he described as the “duplicity” surrounding the earlier ban in light of the recent decision by Governor to lift the 11-year suspension of Kaduna State Government sponsorship of Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
He described Governor Uba Sani’s action as a deliberate policy anchored on fairness, inclusivity and equal citizenship in a religiously diverse state.
“In a plural and religiously diverse state such as Kaduna, government actions must not only comply with constitutional provisions but must also demonstrate visible neutrality and balance,” he said.
Sheikh Maraya added that restoring Christian pilgrimage sponsorship while maintaining support for Muslim pilgrims reflects principles of justice and fairness, noting that neutrality in religious matters requires even-handedness rather than disengagement.
