No Kobo Is Missing In Plateau Muslim Welfare’s Board, Abdullahi Tells Dauda

….. Says Daiyabu Dauda Should not act ignorance and mischief,”

Yakubu Busari

The former Executive Secretary of, the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare’s Board, Barr. Auwal Abdullahi has debunked the alleged missing #155,000,000.00 that it was ignorance or mischief to assert were government there are no approvals for all those spending by the state governments, and PV’s/Receipt to that effect is available.

Barr.Awal Abdullahi while reacting to media publications from national dailies frowned upon a purported report credited to the Executive Secretary, of Muslim Pilgrims Welfare’s Board, Alh.Hon . Daiyabu Dauda says, “My attention as the immediate past Executive Secretary of Muslim Pilgrims  Welfare Board, Plateau State was drawn to a statement purported to be from the current Executive Secretary of the Muslim Pilgrims Board Alhaji Dayyabu Dauda to the effect that the Sum of N155,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Five Million Naira Only) was missing the money he said according to the source belongs to about 150 (One Hundred and Fifty Intending Pilgrims) to put the record straight, there was never a missing fund and/or misappropriation.

“The money in question i.e. N155, 000,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Five Million  Naira Only) is the breakdown as follows:

First pre-hajj visit to Saudi Arabia for the year 2023 for three people i.e Executive Secretary, the Board Chairman and the Director Finance of the board.

The second pre-hajj visit to Saudi Arabia for the second quarter of 2023, it also comprised 3 people i.e the Executive Secretary, the Board Chairman, and the Director of Admin.

The salary of Ad-hoc staff of the board numbering six (6) for the whole year  2023.

All expenses for the day-to-day running of the board, include but are not restricted to all utilities (fueling of office vehicles, fueling of the generator, the electric bill, stationaries, data, and other accessories of the ICT room, etc”.

Estacode and complete Hajj fare of 10 state Government officials that accompanied the over 1400 (One Thousand Four Hundred) pilgrims for the performance of Hajj operation 2023.

The operational cost of the whole 2023 Hajj operations both onshore and offshore i.e. both in Nigeria and in Saudi Arabia. Other incidental expenses etc.

Based on the above breakdown, it is instructive to know that the board (Muslim Pilgrims Board) does not receive a running cost or an impress from the state coffer, the tradition therefore is for the board to use whatever legitimate way to fund its activities pending when the state Government would approve its final memo to make up for all the expenditures incurred.

The N155,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Five Million Naira Only) was used  for all the above mentioned expenditures because there were approvals for all those  spendings by the state governments, and PV’s/Receipt to that effect is available.

The Plateau State Hajj Contingents (2023 Pilgrims) for the first time in almost 30  years were granted a slot to be airlifted ahead of any other state, because of the  hiccups of 2022 (as a way of compensation), it was this concession granted by the  National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) that necessitated the airlift of  the One Thousand Four Hundred (1400) pilgrims in Back to Back manner from the  26th, 27th and 28th days of May 2023.

Because of the above reasons, coupled with the fact that there was a transition from  the immediate past to the current administration, there was no release as per the  approvals of the Hajj general memo.

It is on record that the whole operation was without a single dime or release instead  of dampening our spirit, we decided to improvised thus; the management and  officials of the board decided to cancel all the Government Sponsored pilgrims and  decided to concentrate only on the self-sponsored pilgrims numbering One

Thousand Four Hundred (1400), but there was no way these number of pilgrims  could go on pilgrimage without the proper guidance and supervision of State  Officials also in order to save the Plateau State Government from embarrassment,

Ten (10) officials were sponsored to oversee the activities of the 2023 pilgrims, the sponsorship was considered judiciously and judicially, because according to the approved memo, there were well over Sixty-five (65) operational staff.

Even at that, the Estacode of the Ten (10) officials was drastically reduced to  reflect financial discipline and prudence. Instead of the estacode of 42 days spent  in the Holy land, only the estacode of 20 (Twenty) days was given to each of the  10 officials.

Among the officials were prominent sons of Plateau such as His Royal Highness  the Longja of Namu as the “Amirul Hajj” and the board Chairman who is a  respected retired justice of the Sharia Court and all the directors of the board, all  these prominent sons of Plateau accompanied the over 1400 pilgrims to a successful Hajj operation in 2023.

It therefore, behaves of ignorance or mischief to assert that N155,000,000.00 was  missing.

The immediate past officials of the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board Plateau State   under the able leadership of Barr. Auwal Abdullahi are not however infallible but  they have tried their best in discharging their responsibilities.

Finally, the Executive Governor of Plateau State His Excellency Barr. Caleb Mutfwang deserves commendation because he has demonstrated a sense of  responsibility by paying the said sum which constitutes part of the approved Hajj  memo 2023 as did his predecessor His Excellency Simon Lalong in 2015 and  2018 respectively.