El-Rufai's Ban on Christian Pilgrimage Criticized

Sheikh Haliru Maraya, a member of the Kaduna State Special Hajj Committee, accused former Governor Nasir El-Rufai of implementing a 2015 ban that affected only Christian pilgrims, halting government sponsorship for their pilgrimage to Jerusalem while continuing support for Muslim pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. El-Rufai's ban was justified by citing fiscal prudence and the need to manage the state's debt profile.

However, Maraya argued that the policy was applied unevenly, favoring Muslims. During El-Rufai's tenure, approximately 985 pilgrims were sponsored to Saudi Arabia, including 730 officials and 255 sub-officials.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted pilgrimage activities in 2020 and 2021, with no records of Christian pilgrims receiving government sponsorship during that time. Recently, Governor Uba Sani lifted the eleven-year suspension on Christian pilgrimage sponsorship, which Maraya described as a move towards fair inclusivity and equal citizenship in Kaduna State, aligning with constitutional provisions for justice without discrimination.