El-Rufai’s pilgrimage sponsorship ban as Kaduna Governor targeted only Christians, says Sheikh Haliru Maraya
By Ishaya Ibrahim
A member of the Kaduna state special hajj committee, Sheikh Haliru Maraya, said the 2015 ban on pilgrimage sponsorship introduced by Nasir el-Rufai, the former Kaduna state governor, was selectively enforced against Christians.
El-Rufai announced a ban on government-sponsored pilgrimages in 2015, citing fiscal prudence and efforts to manage the state’s debt profile.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, Maraya said the policy was not implemented uniformly.
“At face value, the policy appeared to apply to both Muslim and Christian pilgrims. However, subsequent developments revealed a divergence between policy pronouncement and policy implementation,” Maraya said.
He said while Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem was effectively halted throughout el-Rufai’s eight-year tenure, sponsorship for Muslim pilgrims to Saudi Arabia continued under alternative classifications.
Maraya said approximately 985 pilgrims were sponsored for hajj during the period, including 730 officials and 255 sub-officials.
The official added that there was no record of any Christian pilgrim receiving government sponsorship to Jerusalem within the same timeframe.
He said those sponsored as officials included medical personnel, clerics and administrative staff to facilitate pilgrimage operations, while “sub-officials” received full government sponsorship covering airfare, accommodation, feeding and basic travelling allowances.
Maraya further contrasted the policy with the recent decision by Uba Sani, Kaduna governor, to lift the 11-year suspension of government sponsorship of Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
He said the move reflects fairness, inclusivity and equal citizenship in a religiously diverse state like Kaduna.
“Government neutrality in religious matters does not require disengagement but even-handedness,” Maraya said.
He added that restoring Christian pilgrimage sponsorship does not diminish support for Muslim pilgrims but establishes balance.
