(DDM) – The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) is facing a new wave of internal turmoil following allegations that the Commissioner of Operations, Anofi Elegushi, openly disregarded a direct order from Vice-President Kashim Shettima while secretly retaining retired and unauthorized personnel within the commission.
DDM gathered that the controversy erupted after senior officials accused the commissioner of fostering a culture of impunity, favoritism and ethnic manipulation inside the agency responsible for coordinating Nigerian pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia.
Sources within NAHCON told SaharaReporters that Mr. Elegushi continues to retain a retired staff member, Mr. Gaffar, who formally exited the commission in 2023.
Officials alleged that despite having no legal or administrative standing, the retired officer moves freely through departmental operations, attends high-level meetings and travels with the commissioner on official assignments.
They added that he enjoys privileges ordinarily reserved for active civil servants, including maintained offices in Abuja and Saudi Arabia during Hajj operations.
One senior staff member described the situation as a “blatant violation of Public Service Rules that has deeply eroded staff confidence.”
Insiders also alleged that the commissioner retained a female former NYSC corps member who completed her service months earlier, reportedly because she is related to him.
They claimed she currently occupies a slot reserved for incoming corps members while enjoying full staff privileges, prompting fears of nepotism and abuse of office.
The emerging scandal is further heightened by a written directive from Vice-President Shettima himself.
Documents obtained by SaharaReporters show that the Vice-President explicitly rejected NAHCON’s request to hire retired personnel on contract.
In a memo titled “RE: Request for Special Waiver to Appoint Three Retired Officers on Contract,” the Vice-President ordered the commission to reverse any such engagements and conduct a proper capability assessment of its workforce.
Despite this instruction, insiders insist that Elegushi has refused to comply, describing the continued presence of the retired officer and ex-corper as a clear act of defiance.
Attempts by the staff union to challenge the irregularities reportedly yielded no meaningful action due to fear among employees.
One official said the commissioner’s influence is so strong that even the PPMF officer responsible for enforcing regulations “has chosen to look away.”
Tension within NAHCON has deepened further over allegations that Mr. Elegushi, who is said to be eyeing the NAHCON chairmanship, has begun manipulating internal postings to strengthen his political and ethnic hold on the commission.
One controversial move cited by staff was the redeployment of Halidu Shutti as Director of Human Resources, which insiders described as a strategic positioning designed to consolidate power.
Efforts to reach the commissioner for comment were unsuccessful as calls to his phone were not answered at the time of filing this report.
