Former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El Rufai, sponsored pilgrims for Hajj but discontinued the sponsorship of Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem throughout his eight-year tenure, Sheikh Haliru Maraya has said.
El Rufai had banned the sponsorship of pilgrims in 2015,
citing fiscal prudence and the need to manage Kaduna State’s debt profile.
Sheikh Haliru Maraya, a member of Kaduna State Special Hajj
Committee, who made this known at a press briefing on Monday, pointed out that
El Rufai’s ban was selectively applied.
‘’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 Sheikh Maraya, El Rufai had sponsored
approximately 985 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, comprising 730 officials and 255
sub-officials, but ‘’within the same period, there is no record of any
Christian pilgrim receiving government sponsorship to Jerusalem.’’
Sheikh Maraya pointed out that ‘’while Christian pilgrimage
to Jerusalem was effectively halted, sponsorship for pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia
continued under alternative classifications.’’
He said that the El Rufai administration sponsored pilgrims
to Saudi Arabia as officials, which include medical personnel, clerics, and
administrative staff, to facilitate pilgrimage operations.
‘’The second category, later termed “sub-officials,”
effectively functioned as direct government sponsorship, covering airfare,
accommodation, feeding, and Basic Travelling Allowances,’’ he added.
‘’In 2015 alone, 95 officials were sponsored for pilgrimage.
In 2016, 91 officials and 40 sub-officials were sponsored. In 2017, 89
officials and 30 sub-officials travelled. In 2018, 95 officials and 45
sub-officials were sponsored. In 2019, 90 officials were sponsored.
‘’Although the global COVID-19 pandemic disrupted pilgrimage
activities in 2020 and 2021, sponsorship resumed in 2022 with 100 officials and
40 sub-officials. By 2023, the number rose to 170 officials and 100
sub-officials,’’ he added.
The Islamic cleric argued that it is necessary to clarify
the duplicity of El Rufai’s ban on pilgrimage sponsorship and Governor Uba
Sani’s recent decision to ‘’ lift the eleven-year suspension of Kaduna State
Government sponsorship of Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem.’’
He pointed out that Governor Uba Sani decision to lift the
suspension is a deliberate policy decision anchored on the principles of
fairness, inclusivity, and equal citizenship.
Sheikh Maraya further said that lifting the ban ‘’reflects
the Governor’s consistent commitment to ensuring that state institutions and
policies do not privilege one faith community over another.
‘’ 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 argued.
The member of the Special Hajj Committee pointed out that
the Governor’s decision to lift the ban on Christian pilgrimage ‘’also aligns
with the ethical imperatives of Islam, which enjoins justice without
discrimination.’’
‘’Suratul An-Nisa, Chapter 4, Verse 135, calls on believers
to stand firmly for justice, even where it may conflict with personal or
communal interests.
‘’By restoring Christian pilgrimage sponsorship while
maintaining Muslim pilgrimage support, the Governor has reinforced the Islamic
principle of fairness rather than undermining it,’’ he added.
The Sheikh argued that ‘’it is necessary to emphasize that
the reinstatement of sponsorship for Christian pilgrims does not diminish the
state’s support for Muslim pilgrims.
‘’Rather, it 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 further said.
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