A member of the Kaduna State Special Hajj Committee, Sheikh Haliru Maraya, has alleged that former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, selectively applied his 2015 ban on government-sponsored pilgrimages, effectively halting sponsorship for Christian pilgrims while continuing support for Muslim pilgrims under alternative classifications.
El-Rufai had, in 2015, announced a ban on government sponsorship of pilgrimages, citing fiscal prudence and the need to manage the state’s debt profile. The policy was widely understood to apply to both Christian and Muslim pilgrims.
However, speaking on Monday, Sheikh Maraya argued that implementation of the policy diverged from its original pronouncement.
“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 said.
According to Maraya, while Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem was effectively halted throughout El-Rufai’s eight-year tenure, sponsorship for pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia continued under the categories of “officials” and later “sub-officials.”
He disclosed that approximately 985 pilgrims were sponsored to Saudi Arabia during the period — comprising 730 officials and 255 sub-officials.
He explained that the “officials” category included medical personnel, clerics, and administrative staff deployed to facilitate pilgrimage operations, while the “sub-officials” category functioned effectively as direct sponsorship, covering airfare, accommodation, feeding, and Basic Travelling Allowances.
Providing a yearly breakdown, Maraya said pilgrimage activities were disrupted globally in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He maintained that within the same period, there was no record of Christian pilgrims receiving government sponsorship to Jerusalem.
Sheikh Maraya contrasted the previous administration’s approach with that of the current governor, Uba Sani, who recently lifted what he described as an eleven-year suspension of Kaduna State Government sponsorship of Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
According to Maraya, Governor Sani’s decision reflects fairness, inclusivity, and equal citizenship in a religiously diverse state like Kaduna.
“Government actions must not only comply with constitutional provisions but must also demonstrate visible neutrality and balance,” he stated.
He added that restoring Christian pilgrimage sponsorship aligns with Islamic principles of justice, citing Suratul An-Nisa (Chapter 4, Verse 135), which enjoins believers to stand firmly for justice without discrimination.
Maraya stressed that reinstating sponsorship for Christian pilgrims does not diminish support for Muslim pilgrims but rather establishes balance.
“Government neutrality in religious matters does not require disengagement from faith-related logistics where historical practice and public policy have already created frameworks for involvement. What neutrality requires is even-handedness,” he said.
Credit: VANGUARD
