Political commentator Mahdi Shehu has condemned the Kebbi State Government’s plan to provide a N10 billion loan to intending Hajj pilgrims, describing the initiative as reckless and insensitive to the state’s harsh socioeconomic realities.
Shehu, posting on X on Monday, said the policy reflects a gross misplacement of priorities in a state battling widespread poverty and failing infrastructure.
According to him, the scheme “exploits religious sentiment to mislead citizens,” many of whom struggle to afford basic necessities.
“The intending pilgrims will do better to perform one of the Hajj rituals — stoning the devil — by stoning the person deceiving them with this Hajj loan, who qualifies as the ‘bigger devil,’” he wrote.
He argued that offering loans for religious trips while residents face severe deprivation is “simply daft,” adding that the government is preying on vulnerable citizens.
Shehu highlighted the grim conditions in the state, citing alarming poverty levels, over 2 million out-of-school children, dilapidated hospitals and schools, bad roads, lack of potable water, unpaid gratuities, soaring youth unemployment, and collapsed primary healthcare centres.
“In a state where poverty is at 75 percent… this is pure madness and illiteracy,” he said.
His comments followed Governor Nasir Idris’ approval of the N10 billion intervention fund to support 2026 Hajj pilgrims who were unable to meet payment deadlines.
The Executive Chairman of the Kebbi State Pilgrims Welfare Agency, Alhaji Faruku Aliyu Yaro, disclosed on Saturday that many prospective pilgrims had struggled to complete their payments, prompting the government’s bailout.
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