FCT, Abuja – The Ebonyi State House of Assembly has been urged to commence the impeachment process of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru over N551m Hajj approval for just 46 Muslims in the state.
Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora (AEISCID) warned Governor Nwifuru to backtrack from spending N551M of tax-payers money on Islamic pilgrimage.
The body’s President (worldwide), Paschal Oluchukwu, described the decision to spend N551 million on Hajj despite severe economic hardships faced by the common citizens as reckless.
Oluchukwu said this in a statement released in Abuja on Monday, February 10, 2025, and made available to TimesNow.com.ng.
The group called on Governor Nwifuru to reverse the decision and apologize to the poor masses.
He argued that there was no such financial provision for Hajj spending in the 2025 budget.
AEISCID said the governor’s action is an abuse of public office and a gross violation of Section 120 (subsections 3 and 4) of the 1999 Constitution.
Meanwhile, TimesNow.com.ng reported that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led federal government revealed that it provided succour for Muslims travelling for Hajj in 2024.
There was a sudden hike in Hajj fare due to the fluctuation of foreign exchange as the Naira struggled earlier this year.
The subsidisation made the number of pilgrims soar as many could have jettisoned the intention of going if the price was to remain high.
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
