Former Senator Dino Melaye of Kogi West has publicly condemned the Federal Government for allocating public funds to sponsor Nigerians undertaking religious pilgrimages in Mecca and Israel, arguing that the money should be redirected toward addressing the country's pressing developmental challenges. In an interview shared on social media, Melaye questioned the government's involvement in religious activities, insisting that matters of faith and an individual's relationship with God should remain personal affairs rather than state-sponsored ventures. He maintained that churches, mosques, and wealthy individuals are better positioned to sponsor religious pilgrims, rather than relying on public coffers.
"That is the function of churches. That is the function of billionaires who have made money who can sponsor people on religious pilgrimage. And there's no hadith in the Quran, there's no chapter of the Bible that says if you did not go to Mecca or if you did not go on Umrah, or if you did not go to Israel for pilgrimage, you will not make heaven," Melaye said.
The former lawmaker went further to question the justification for spending public money on religious trips, pointing to the poor state of critical infrastructure and essential services across the country as evidence that resources are being misallocated. He noted that roads, hospitals, and other vital services remain in disrepair, suggesting that government spending priorities need urgent reorientation.
"Then why will government be spending billions of naira that is supposed to be meant for development? Our roads, you know their state in this country. Our hospitals, you know their state in this sentence. Why can't we prioritise our spending? What is the business of government with religion? That we are spending hundreds of billions annually to send people to Mecca and Jerusalem? And you go and pray and come back and continue in your sin," he added.
Melaye also made a controversial remark about the environment surrounding some religious pilgrimage destinations, using Jerusalem as an example to question the sincerity of some pilgrims. He stated that there were establishments near Mount Sinai where pilgrims could pray, a comment that drew sharp reactions from various quarters.
"Even Jerusalem that you are going to, just close to Mount Sinai where you go to pray, there's an 'ashawo' joint by the edge there," he stated.
Emphasising that he considers himself a spiritual person, Melaye maintained that personal faith should not take precedence over the government's responsibility to provide essential services and promote national development. He accused those who advocate for government involvement in religious sponsorship of being intellectually stagnant and myopic in their thinking.
"I'm a spiritual person, but my spirituality and celestial relationship with God is personal. You cannot make what is meant for the development of the people and then place it on religion. It's myopism. So those who want to insult say you don't touch churches, you don't touch mosques are being myopic. They are being intellectually stagnant. United Nations is successful. They don't say prayers. I've gone for many United Nations, including United Nations General Assembly. There's no opening prayer. There's no closing prayer. And they are successful. You know why? Religion is personal. It's individualistic," he said.
The former senator further stressed that individuals would ultimately be accountable for their relationship with God, arguing that government resources should be directed toward economic growth and improving the living conditions of Nigerians. He called for a fundamental reprioritisation of government spending across key sectors.
"Because I repeat, on Judgment Day, it shall be you and your God. Federal government will have no role to play. We need to reprioritise. We need to build our economy. We need to build our technology. We need to build our education. We need to build our industries. We need to build the small-scale industries in this country. That is what government should be about," Melaye said.
In his closing remarks, Melaye urged the Federal Government to reconsider its spending priorities and focus more on infrastructure, education, technology, industrialisation, and economic development rather than funding religious pilgrimages.
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