According to him, Government has decided to maintain the fares from last year’s pilgrimage.

He said despite the increment announced by the Saudi Arabian Government, the President has directed the Hajj Board to maintain the fares.

The Vice President made the announcement at the 50^th anniversary to mark the celebration of the birth of Prophet Muhammad by the Tijanniya Movement of Ghana in Kumasi.

“The date for the pilgrimage to Mecca this year is approaching. May Allah fulfil the intentions of all prospective pilgrims for this year. The Saudi Arabian Government we know has increased the fares for the 2018 pilgrimage. But President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says I should tell all prospective pilgrims that there will be no increment in fares”, he announced.

Dr Bawumia indicated that the Nana Addo-led administration is gradually honouring the promises it made to Ghanaians prior to the 2016 general elections.

He called on the Muslim community in the country to support Government with prayers to enable it to deliver on its mandate.

Dignitaries at the event included; the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Alhaji Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, some Members of Parliament and other prominent Islamic clerics.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The programme was attended by the Chairman of the Ghana Hajj Board Sheikh I.C Quaye, the Chief Imam Sheikh Dr. Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu as the Guest of Honour, together with the ten regional chief Imams and other Imams from across the country.

As part of the programme, recitations from the Quran were done coherently by all the ten regional Imams present, followed by an address read on behalf of the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who thanked all who contributed to the success of the 2017 Hajj.

The Vice president also commended the Hajj Board for their efforts.

This was followed by a welcome address by Sheikh I.C Quaye who thanked and lauded President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuf0 Addo and Dr. Bawumia for their support to the Hajj Board and the 2017 pilgrims in general.

He said “Mr. President, your support led to a 2017 Hajj that could be described as the most caring and successful in the history of Hajj operations in Ghana. A number of reasons that attest to this fact include but not limited to the following. For the first time ever, your government cleared a debt of gh¢31,000,000 incurred by the previous board to pave the way for Ghana’s participation in the hajj. As history would have it, as many as 452 left over would-be pilgrims in 2016 were airlifted through your intervention on compassionate grounds with the cooperation of your able vice president Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia and the minister of finance.”

Sheikh I.C Quaye went on to exhibit to the audience the three awards he received from Mecca during the Hajj, with one of them from the Chief Imam at the mosque in Mecca.

Solidarity messages were also read out by some of the Imams present.

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About four Ghanaians have so far died while in that country.

The Deputy Communications Director for the Hajj Board, Hajia Marian Cissey in an interview with Citi News said some of them died in their sleep while the rest suffered from some medical conditions.

[contextly_sidebar id=”hdTJn2SrYLMiA4F2LfOsjvVI3zJIRUHl”]Meanwhile, addressing the Muslims at the Black Stars Square on Friday as part of activities marking the 2017 Eid ul-Adha festival, President Akufo-Addo prayed for Allah’s protection for the pilgrims.

“Let us pray for those of our brothers, sisters, countrymen and women who have embarked on the Hajj especially our revered Chief Imam. We pray that the almighty sees them through the Hajj rites and bring them home safely,” he prayed.

On the organization of the Hajj trip, President Akufo-Addo said this year’s pilgrim “has been largely without problem” assuring that “my government is committed to maintaining the atmosphere that allows people of all religious persuasions to practice their religion without hindrance.”

About Eid ul-Adha

Muslims around the world are today [Friday] celebrating the Eid ul-Adha festival, also known as the Feast of Sacrifice.

It commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s (Abraham) willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God’s command and also marks the end of Hajj, which is the sacred pilgrimage to Mecca.

Eid al-Adha is also called the “Sacrifice Feast” or “Bakr-Eid” is the second of two Muslim holidays celebrated worldwide each year, and considered the holier of the two.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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Responding to reports concerning the living arrangements of Ghanaian pilgrims, the Deputy Communications Director for the Hajj Board, Hajia Marian Cissey, blamed the Saudi authorities for the situation in a Citi News interview.

[contextly_sidebar id=”m0MKUtja7BkTotIo3UNdBximpfP7n8DU”]She explained that all the hotel arrangements were made, but two days before the pilgrims left Mecca to Mina in Saudi Arabia, “that was when the Saudi authorities gave out a communique that the arrangements [for accomodation] being done at Mina would be reduced.”

This communique affected all countries embarking on Hajj this year, Hajia Cissey noted.

“The reasons they [the Saudi authorities] gave so far indicates that they are overwhelmed with the numbers coming from all the countries, therefore every country must adjust. That is one of the reasons why we saw some people outside in Mina.”

One of the reasons the pilgrim numbers were inflated, in Ghana’s case, is that Ghanaians living in Saudi Arabia who wanted to perform the Hajj tried to invade the Ghanaian camp.

“Interestingly, they had even printed our bills with Ghana flags behind it. Some of them even had the wrist tags on their wrists so it was so difficult to differentiate whether the person was a Ghanaian or not, even though we did our best to fish out some of them from our tent.”

“This is a perennial problem. It is not particular to this year. It has been going on every year,” Hajia Cissey stated.

Over 100 million people embark on the religious pilgrimage every year. Ghana contributed over 6,000 pilgrims for the 2017 Hajj.

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By: Farida Shaibu/Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Confirming the incident to Citi News, the Deputy Communications Director for the Hajj Board, Hajia Marian Cissey, noted that “so far we have lost three pilgrims; two being women and one man.”

The two women died in their sleep, while the third person, a man, suffered a medical condition and died at the hospital.

Hajia Cissey noted that, the man was suffering from a condition before he embarked on the trip.

“The medical experts told us that the patient was already involved in an accident and the condition was being managed and he was on medication. So when he got here, I think that due to how stressful the whole spiritual exercise is, he suffered from internal bleeding in the brain.”

The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, the most holy city for Muslims, and is considered a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey, at least once in their lifetime.

The pilgrimage has often recorded deaths sometimes due to stampede and other factors.

Mecca, particularly in the summer, has a brutal climate which strains the body due to high heat, and the fact that the rites of the pilgrimage require a great deal of movement with massive crowding, it takes a toll on older people.

Also, the belief that if one dies while performing Hajj means a straight shot to heaven encourages those in extremely poor health to play it safe (in the spiritual sense) by playing it unsafely (in the physical sense).

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By: Farida Shaibu/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Public Relations Officer of the board Abdulai Rahman Alhassan Gomdah explained to Citi News that the delay was from the airline’s end.

“We don’t know the cause of the delay but there has been a delay on the part of the airline but as I speak, we have received word that the aircraft is airborne and will soon touch down at the Tamale airport.”

Mr. Alhassan Gomdah said the Hajj board had done its part and pilgrims were ready for the flight.

“The pilgrims are holed up at the Tamale Stadium awaiting their movement to the Tamale Airport so anytime the aeroplane touches down, they will be brought to the airport for the airport for the airlift.”

He further assured that “definitely they would be leaving today. Otherwise, the Vice President wouldn’t have been waiting. He is still waiting in Tamale.”

The original fight for the stranded pilgrims was scheduled for 8:30 pm on Thursday, August 10.

Vice President, Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia remained in Tamale after a pre-departure Durbar at the Tamale Sports Stadium to bid them farewell but eventually got disappointed.

Five flights were scheduled to fly direct from the Tamale Airport to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

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By: Anass Seidu/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The first batch of pilgrims will leave Ghana through the Tamale Airport in the Northern Region on August 10, followed by four other flights from the same Airport.

[contextly_sidebar id=”KdoxSRzmtvd7zcB2xlE2M1xTacdG6rtR”]This came to light when Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia visited the Hajj Village in Accra on Thursday to interact with the key stakeholders.

The visit afforded the Vice President the opportunity to acquaint himself with arrangements made so far to ensure a successful Hajj.

Vice President Bawumia was met by Sheikh I. C. Quaye, the Chairman of the Pilgrims Affairs Office of Ghana (Hajj Board) and other members of the Board.

Sheikh I. C. Quaye took the Vice President round the Village and briefed him on the preparation made so far.

Dr Bawumia was happy for the ongoing facelift at the Hajj Village following the construction of permanent structures and a clinic to cater for prospective pilgrims’ health needs and, thus, commended the Board for its efforts.

“From what I have seen, this could be one of the best, if not the best organised Hajj in Ghana’s history,” Dr Bawumia stated.

“I want to thank you on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the entire government for all the work you are doing to make the Hajj a success, and also remind you that the next few weeks will be the most critical as all the planning you have made will have to be implemented.

“I’m, however, confident that you will make Ghana proud by ensuring an incident-free Hajj,” he said.

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Source: GNA

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The 35 officers have been trained on profiling of prospective Hajj Pilgrims, queuing, endorsement of forms and other simulation exercises.

The Regional Commander, Chief Superintendent Noah Ahomka Yeboah told Citi News that his men were prepared for the impending exercise.

“Given the numbers that we are expecting this year which is about twice that the Tamale Airport processed, it means that the onerous lies on us to ensure that our men are ready and prepared to handle the volumes that will come our way.”

“We have brought our men from the entry points who will be involved in the process to partake in the capacity building workshop.”

“What is critical is every year we turn to get other nationals trying to use Ghana passports to go. Most of them are our Fulani brothers who have lived in Ghana for years and they have the right to go on Ghana passports,” he disclosed.

According to him, six flights have been scheduled to depart the Tamale Airport for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

He said 3,500 prospective Pilgrims are expected to fly direct from the Tamale Airport as compared to the 1,500 passengers for the 2016 Hajj.

Chief Superintendent Yeboah advised his officers to attentively discharge their duties in line with international standards.

He also admonished the prospective Pilgrims and their family relations to comport themselves at the Tamale Sports Stadium.

He said accredited Hajj Agents operating in the three regions of the north would also be trained to avoid any hiccups.

He said plans have been advanced to open three Immigration district offices at Bimbila, Salaga and Savelugu to increase officers’ presence in the region.

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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The previous Hajj Board left a huge debt of GHc23 million cedis after funding air tickets of some pilgrims over the years.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Blj0Muzlh73MVOSW7ubNB0npYe84J2HY”]Even though government is struggling to pay off the debt, the Vice President stated that some of the initiatives being introduced are necessary to help ease the plight of pilgrims while they are there.

Dr. Bawumia said this while interacting with the Muslim community in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region, as part of his working visit.

“It is very stressful when you go on Hajj. Government is planning to feed you three times a day when you go to Mecca. It is one surest way of making the Hajj smooth. Another plan by government is to provide pilgrims with means of transport. When you reach Mecca, we have realized that transportation is a major challenge, so we will provide buses for wherever you wish to go. When you are in Mecca, a lot of pilgrims wait for long hours at the Airport for flight back home; now while you wait, we will provide you with food.”

Measures in place to ensure incident-free Hajj

His assurance comes days after he indicated that government had put measures in place to address the challenges that have marred previous Hajj pilgrimages.

He stated that the government is committed to ensuring that this year’s pilgrimage comes off without the hitches which have been associated with the process in the past.

Addressing some Muslims at Shama in the Western Region, Dr. Bawumia said: “After the prayer and fasting this month, we’ll be preparing to leave for Hajj. We’ve instituted some measures to make this year’s pilgrimage a smooth one. We’ll prompt you before you get to the Hajj village by sending text messages to all who applied for this year’s pilgrimage. This is to remove all challenges that have been associated with the process in the past.”

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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According to Dr. Bawumia, the government is committed to ensuring that this year’s pilgrimage comes off without the hitches which have been associated with the process in the past.

[contextly_sidebar id=”iD8r8GTMcESEjcru0blRqaEuIVc0rpOT”]Addressing some Muslims at Shama in the Western Region, Dr. Bawumia said: “After the prayer and fasting this month, we’ll be preparing to leave for Hajj. We’ve instituted some measures to make this year’s pilgrimage a smooth one. We’ll prompt you before you get to the Hajj village by sending text messages to all who applied for this year’s pilgrimage. This is to remove all challenges that have been associated with the process in the past.”  

This will come as welcome news to pilgrims, who have over the years struggled to undertake this sacred trip due to the myriad of challenges that have characterized the process.

In 2016, hundreds of prospective pilgrims were left stranded at the Hajj Village, leading to fears that they would not be able to embark on the pilgrimage.

The immediate past National Hajj Board also confirmed that it left behind a debt of GHc23 million accrued from organizing the 2016 pilgrimage to Mecca.

First Batch to leave August 10

The National Hajj Board announced that the first batch of Muslims embarking on this year’s pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, will leave Ghana on August 10, 2017.

The board has said a total of six flights will fly directly from the Northern Regional capital, Tamale, to Saudi Arabia.

The board has also started publishing the names of Muslims who will be participating in this year’s exercise to minimize the challenges associated with the annual event.

The spokesperson for the Board told Citi News his outfit is introducing some new measures to ensure an incident free hajj.

“We’ll fulfill other promises”

Dr. Bawumia also assured the residents of the government’s continued commitment towards the fulfillment of the promises they had made prior to the 2016 elections.

He stated that money had already been allocated to the Zongo development Fund and also assured parents that the free SHS programme would commence for new students in September.

This, he said was in appreciation for the “overwhelming support” the NPP received in the 2016 polls.

“We promised a lot of things prior to the elections and we’re fulfilling them. We have allocated Ghc 219 million for the Zongo Development Fund,” Dr. Bawumia added.

“The President also promised free Senior High School Education. By the grace of God, we’ll start rolling out the policy this September.”

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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