HURIWA, the Nigerian Human Rights Writers Association, has demanded that President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly establish a pilgrims commission board for African Traditional Religion worshippers in three weeks or face legal action.
The rights organization wants the Federal Government to create a pilgrims commission for African Traditional Religion, similar to the institutions that care for Christian and Muslim pilgrimages at governmental expenses, or it will sue the government for discriminating against millions of participants of the respected African traditional religion.
HURIWA said it has already asked its legal unit to start preparing to take the President and the National Assembly to court to challenge the institutionalized religious apartheid if the government refuses to do the necessary or take visible steps to actualize its demands.
HURIWA has stated that, as an alternative, it will demand the abolition of all Pilgrims Commissions to save the country millions of nairas in public funds wasted on the Christian and Moslem Pilgrims Commissions, while millions of African Traditional Worshippers are discriminated against because they do not have their own Pilgrims Commission to organize their annual pilgrimage.
HURIWA said, “We wonder how Nigeria that brags to be the Nation with the largest black people globally, has continued to marginalize the segment of the population that adheres to their authentic and distinctive ancestral African traditional way of worship whereas the government keeps spending humongous taxpayers resources to sponsor foreign pilgrimages to middle East, Jordan, Italy amongst other foreign jurisdictions but failed to introduce a mechanism to organize pilgrimages to ancient shrines and Iconic ATR Centres in Nigeria.
“We are going to officially write to the office of the Federal Attorney General and the National Assembly to begin the process of setting up a pilgrims Commission for African traditional worshippers to make the many ancient shrines and landmark institutions of African worship attractive to International Pilgrims and this process will energize the local economies of those places and states in Nigeria and ensure equity and equality of rights.
“Our prayer for indigenous religions to have their pilgrimages and to have a publicly funded body to organize these spiritual exercises is because the federal and states governments are still making plans to fund the agencies responsible for Islamic and Christian pilgrimages. As learned through media reports, in the proposal, the government said it has set aside a total of N2.6 billion it plans to spend on the programs and activities of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria and the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission for the year.
“The two agencies are responsible for the religious interests of the Muslims and Christians, including the facilitation of annual pilgrimages by adherents of the two religions to Mecca and Jerusalem respectively.
“As reported, the budget to fund the agencies responsible for the travels by both Muslim and Christian faithful during the year is humongous. While the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria was allocated about N1.39 billion, the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission was allocated about N1.38 billion.
“Apart from overhead costs totaling over N617.4 million, the National Hajj Commission is to spend a total of N130 million on general travels and transportation, including N20 million for local travel and transport for training, in addition to N50million for other similar trips during the year.
“Besides, about N10 million has been set aside for international travels and transport for training and N50 million for other overseas travels and transport during the year. Other allocations to the hajj commission are N25 million for consulting and professional services, in addition to N15 million for financial consulting, apart from another N25.4 million for general financial charges, including insurance premiums.
“About N10 million has been budgeted for refreshment and meals for the Commission; N15 million for honorarium and sitting allowances; publicity and advertisements (N20 million); welfare packages N70 million; monitoring activities and follow-up (N30 million).
“Although the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission does not have a provision in the budget for foreign travels and transport, about N71.3 million has been budgeted for allowances and social contributions during the year, while overhead costs, including general local travel and transport, would gulp N586.5 million.
“Also, the commission plans to spend about N42.3 million on general furniture, building, and residential quarters and equipment maintenance; N25.1 million for training as well as N181.6 million for other services, like consulting and general professional services.”
