Mmember of the Kaduna State Special Hajj Committee, Sheikh Haliru Maraya, has alleged that the 2015 ban on government-sponsored pilgrimage introduced by former Governor Nasir El-Rufai was applied selectively, affecting only Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem.
Addressing journalists in Kaduna on Monday, the Islamic cleric maintained that although the policy was publicly presented as a blanket suspension of pilgrimage sponsorship on grounds of fiscal prudence, its implementation told a different story.
El-Rufai had, in 2015, announced the discontinuation of state sponsorship of pilgrims, citing the need to manage Kaduna State’s debt profile and reduce public expenditure.
However, Sheikh Maraya argued that while Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem was effectively halted throughout the eight-year tenure of the former governor, sponsorship for Muslim pilgrims to Saudi Arabia continued under alternative classifications.
According to him, records indicate that approximately 985 pilgrims were sponsored to Saudi Arabia during the period under review, comprising 730 officials and 255 sub-officials.
He explained that those categorised as officials included medical personnel, clerics and administrative staff deployed to facilitate Hajj operations, while the sub-official category, he claimed, functioned as direct beneficiaries of government sponsorship.
“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. In 2018, 95 officials and 45 sub-officials benefitted, while 90 officials were sponsored in 2019,” he said.
He added that although the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted pilgrimage activities in 2020 and 2021, sponsorship resumed in 2022 with 100 officials and 40 sub-officials, rising to 170 officials and 100 sub-officials in 2023.
Sheikh Maraya said there was no record of any Christian pilgrim receiving government sponsorship to Jerusalem within the same period, insisting that the policy, though framed as neutral, operated unevenly in practice.
He contrasted the situation with the recent decision of Governor Uba Sani to lift what he described as an eleven-year suspension of state sponsorship for Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
According to the cleric, the governor’s action reflects a deliberate policy anchored on fairness, inclusivity and equal citizenship in a religiously diverse state.
“In a plural society like Kaduna, government policies must not only comply with constitutional provisions but also demonstrate visible neutrality and balance,” he said.
He further argued that restoring sponsorship for Christian pilgrims does not undermine support for Muslim pilgrims but rather establishes equity, adding that justice without discrimination remains a core Islamic principle.
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