There are growing concerns over reported distortions in the administrative hierarchy within the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), where operational control in some departments are allegedly being vested in junior officers contrary to established civil service rules.
These reported arrangements are creating internal frictions and operational dysfunction in departments critical to the commission’s mandate, with possible implications for service delivery to Nigerian pilgrims.
Independent Hajj Reporters is aware that in the procurement department, a junior officer is performing duties ordinarily reserved for the most senior officer. This development has triggered recent objections from the Bureau of Public Procurement and has raised questions about adherence to merit and due process.
Similar development exists in the ICT department, where the substantive head, described as highly qualified and central to the management of the E-Track platform, has been sidelined in favour of an aide to the chairman. The E-Track system plays a crucial role in Hajj transactions and remains fundamental to the successful execution of Hajj operational plans.
The situation is not different in the media department, where the assignment of responsibilities traditionally handled by an assistant director has been given to a much lower-ranking officer, creating further administrative imbalance.
While acknowledging that the chairman and chief executive officer has the authority to assess staff capacity and deploy personnel based on competence and dedication, Independent Hajj Reporters is concerned that the reported practices could erode staff morale at a sensitive stage of Hajj preparations and undermine the principle of merit.
Information available suggests that the senior officers in the affected departments possess greater experience and institutional knowledge than the junior officers currently favoured, raising further concerns about fairness and professionalism.
The situation is akin to bypassing a chief accounting officer in favour of subordinates for direct reporting to a higher authority — a scenario that would inevitably breed instability within any organisation.
Independent Hajj Reporters, therefore, urge the NAHCON chairman to urgently review and reverse these reported anomalies and pursue administrative solutions consistent with civil service procedures. Addressing perceived lapses through established disciplinary and performance management channels, rather than sidelining senior officers, remains the proper and lawful course of action.
