YA-NA THANKED AKUFFO ADDO FOR HITCH FREE 2022 HAJJ SEASON WITH COMMENDATIONS TO THE HAJJ BOARD

 

The King and overlord of Dagbon, Ya-Na Abubakari II has poured in praises and words of acknowledgement and thanks to the president of Ghana, Nana Akuffo Addo for contributing immensely to the success of this year's Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi, especially the good treatment pilgrims from the Northern part of Ghana had from the Ghana Hajj Board.

The King of Dagbon made this sincere remarks when His Excellency Nana Akuffo Addo paid a courtesy call on him at his palace in Yendi on his two day working visit to the Northern Region.

Ya-Na Abubakari who according to his speech, monitored with keen interest the Hajj operations in Tamale and in Saudi Arabia, was excited with the manner officials and the leadership of the Hajj Board led by the director of finance and administration of the Hajj board, Alhaji Farouk Hamza handled the organisation of the Hajj from Tamale, Accra and in Saudi Arabia.

" Your Excellency, this year, Hajj 2022 was efficiently organized here in Tamale, pilgrims travelled to Mecca and Medina and observed their religious obligations in-line with their faith without any hitch. Whiles pilgrims were in Saudi Arabia, I monitored with keen interest the activities and the welfare of pilgrims over there. The feedback was great and I am happy that the pilgrims mostly from Dagbon state were treated with dignity. The Dagbon state, predominantly Muslim, contributes about 65% of the entire Ghana pilgrim population, therefore, I have particular interest in the activities of Hajj in Ghana. The organizers of the Hajj process here in Tamale did a good job and I commend your government for such a wonderful feat", Ya-Na eulogised Akuffo Addo.

The Akuffo Addo-Bawumia government has invested and supported Hajj operations in Ghana since 2017 and has chalked many successes including this year's Hajj.The Ghana Hajj Board through the support of its stakeholders, has this year, putting big smiles on the faces of Ghanaian pilgrims with excellent services.

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HAJJ 2022- GHANA SHARES EXCESS FOOD TO PILGRIMS OF OTHER COUNTRIES

 MINA, SAUDI ARABIA 

Pilgrims from some African countries that shares boundaries with Ghana camp in Mina at the ongoing Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, have benefited from the excess food given to Ghanaian pilgrims by the Ghana Hajj board as part of their daily meals during their stay in Mina.

Some members of the Ghana Hajj task force and the communication unit led by the deputy communication director, Hajia Sissey Mariam went round and distributed the excess "Ghana Jollof" to some pilgrims of other countries closer to Ghana's camp in Mina for the sake of oneness, regional- religious integration and for mankind. These pilgrims received the food with smiles on their faces depicting solidarity with thanks to Ghana Hajj Board and the president of Ghana and vice president Dr Alhaji Mahamud Bawumia for making it possible for Ghanaians to have enough food which ends up benefiting other people.

The quality of the food is something that Ghanaian pilgrims are commending and other pilgrims who are fortunate to taste the food are talking about with sincerity.

The Ghana Hajj board make available three square meals to Ghanaian pilgrims since they arrived in Mina for the Hajj and this gestures and privileges are missing in many countries participating in this year's Hajj especially the African countries.

Hajjcommunications

HAJJ 2022- OTHER AFRICA PILGRIMS COMMENDS GHANA HAJJ BOARD FOR EXCELLENT ORGANISATION

 MINA, SAUDI ARABIA 

Most pilgrims from other African countries like Chad, Nigeria, Togo, Mali, BurkinaFaso, Senegal and host of other countries have lauded and commended the Ghana Hajj board for an excellent and well organised Hajj operations in this year's Hajj despite the short period Ghana used in airlifting its pilgrims.

These commendations and praises comes on the backdrop of how Ghanaian pilgrims easily identify and locate their place of residence in Mina and Arafah and most especially the signals kept at advantage points from the exit of Jamarat to the tents of Ghana.

Ghana flag stickers and flags have been posted and hoisted respectively directing Ghanaian pilgrims to their tents which has immensely aided Ghanaian pilgrims to their tents without getting missing as it is happening to most pilgrims from other African countries.

Most pilgrims from these African countries are making good use of the posted and hoisted Ghana flags especially countries that have their tents closer or nearer Ghana's tents.

Mina is a city of about 2 million tents dotted around a certain area demarcation and are identical to each other and all in white colour with the same shape and sizes depending on how one looks at it.

Apart from the posting and hosting of Ghana flags and stickers, selected officials and pilgrims from Ghana have been tasked with the responsibility of always moving around with Ghana colors especially when pilgrims are at Jamarat, Muzdalifa and Within Mina for easy location of lost Ghanaian pilgrims.

Although each tents in Mina has a service number, pilgrims still get loss due to the complexity of the structural arrangements of the tents.

To be fair to the other Aftican countries, few of their Hajj commission officials wears a reflector jackets but is not enough or is inadequate to get their pilgrims locate their tents with ease.

Our news team encountered with these pilgrims from Africa countries who got lost  returning from Jamarat ( Devil Stoning). Majority of the lost pilgrims from these countries confided in our news reporters that they follow the arrangement of the Ghana flags and stickers to where their tents are because their tents are near Ghana's tents. They therefore commended the Ghana Hajj board and the pilgrims affairs office of Ghana for that humanitarian initiative which is lacking in their respective Hajj missions.

Hajj communications

HAJJ 2022- SPECIAL QURANIC RECITATION FOR GHANA'S PROGRESS

ARAFAH, SAUDI ARABIA 

A special Quranic recitation was organised and delivered  on Arafah day which is the pillar of Hajj by the leadership of the Ghana Hajj Board led by Alhaji Farouk Hamza who is currently the leader of the Ghana Hajj operations in this year's Hajj in the absence of the Hajj Board Chairman Sheikh I.C Quaye for the economic transformation and peace in Ghana. 

The Quranic recitations was also highly supported by the Ghana Embassy in Saudi Arabia led by the Ambassador H.E Alhaji Habib Tijani and other officials of the Embassy.

The initiators of the Quranic recitations took advantage of the importance of Arafah and Arafah falling on a Friday which is a day of worth praying for.

Without Arafah there is no Hajj according to the Qur'an and the day of Arafah is a special day for Allah and it comes once every year on the 9th of Zulhija. 

The Dawah committee of the Hajj board, mobilised and recited the verses of the Holy Quran in Arafah and later prayed for Ghana.

The Ghana Ambassador to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia , Habib Tijani calls for peace and Unity in the northern part of Ghana after calling for economic transformation and recovery of Ghana.

The leader of the Ghana Hajj mission, Alhaji farouk Hamza supported by members of the Hajj board has taken advantage of the Quranic recitations on Arafah day to ask for peace and progress of the Akuffo Addo government and vice president Alhaji Dr Mahamud Bawumia for continues guidance in delivery the country to prosperity.

Despite the absence of the Hajj Board Chairman, Sheikh I.C Quaye, the Director of Finance and administration of the pilgrims affairs office of Ghana Alhaji Farouk Hamza and other members of the board, within shortest time, have single handedly executed this year's Hajj without any difficulty and all Ghanaian pilgrims who were airlifted to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj, have duly completed all the rituals of Hajj under well supervised departments of the Hajj establishment.

The Quranic recitations was also to thank Allah for a successful 2022 Hajj operations while asking for Allah's guidance in the next Hajj to come in 2023 and beyond.

Hajj communications

HAJJ 2022- GHANAIAN PILGRIMS AMONG THE BEST SATISFIED PILGRIMS ON 2022 HAJJ PILGRIMAGE

MECCA, SAUDI ARABIA 

Ghanaian Hujajs ( Pilgrims) under the supervision and organisation of the pilgrims Affairs Office of Ghana of the Ghana Hajj Board are living in a well arranged and prepared facilities with the highest respect for every human being for Hajj 2022 in Saudi Arabia specifically Medina and Mecca.

Many countries participating in this year's Hajj had one way or the other faced some challenges organising the Hajj due to the post COVID-19 pandemic Hajj operations which came with some financial burden on participating countries including Ghana. Despite the financial burden on Hajj missions, Ghana Hajj Board was able to overlook these challenges and still airlift half of its pilgrims from the Tamale international airport with the collaboration and partnership with other stakeholders like the Ghana airport company, Ghana Immigration service, Ghana airforce, the official airline service provider and others who made this operation a success.

Prior to the airlifting of the first flight of Ghanaian pilgrims to Medina, several groups in the country and individuals who did not understand the operations of Hajj and what is involved, took the streets and the internet space to create unpleasant anxiety, failed even at the time the first batch of Ghanaian pilgrims were airborne to Saudi Arabia, were still seen demonstrating. After realizing the success of the operations by the Ghana Hajj board in meeting with their flight schedules, the dentening image of the Hajj Board by these groups varnished naturally and forgotten.

The joyful atmosphere that greeted the Tamale international airport immediately the aircraft carrying the pilgrims was enormous as tears of joy from the families of the pilgrims watered the dried fields around the Tamale airport.

The first batch of the pilgrims from Tamale were Royally received by the Hajj board's advance team together with the Ghana Embassy in Saudi Arabia led by the Ambassador, His Excellency Alhaji Habib Tijani and other officials of the Embassy.

Pilgrims especially first timers were astonished and amazed with the type of facilities that received them in Medina in a serene and spiritual environment of an accommodation that is closer to the resting place of the Holy Prophet Mohammed S.A.W which is the Masjid Nabawi.

 Ghanaian pilgrims just have to come down from their rooms, and within 45 seconds to 5 minutes, the pilgrims are inside the Prophet's Mosque which is a  dream of every pilgrim visiting City of Medina.

Food and other consumables are in abundance for the consumption of Ghanaian pilgrims, all in the special arrangements  by the Ghana Hajj board.

The buses that carried the pilgrims from Medina to Mecca all through Umrah were exotic and comfortable in their new statues.

The Dawah committee members have and are still aiding the pilgrims to perform their Umrah and other rituals as expected of them in order for the pilgrims to attain the full benefit and blessings of embarking on this Holy journey.

From close observations, the entire pilgrims are physically fit awaiting the start of this year's Hajj and is all with the support of the medical team of the Hajj board who have devoted their energies in making sure every pilgrim is healthy to perform the Hajj though some have recovered from the "change of Evironment" syndrome after arriving and performing the Umrah.

"It was a different feeling I had when embarking on this journey but Alhamdulilahi Alhamdulilahi am satisfied with the arrangements so far. We eat good food with drinks and fruits given to us by the officials of the board. We are thankful to Hajj board". A pilgrim said.

"In fact, what we are seeing is beyond what we paid as Hajj fares, whaaat, this is amazing and worth of praise to the organizers of this year's Hajj. I pray Allah strengthens their fate in doing more for Ghana" A pilgrim confesses.

" What I can say is that, my Hajj is going to be accepted by Allah because am at peace to myself looking at the welfare and love extended to us by the Hajj board in the area of Accommodation, meals, health and transportation" A female pilgrim has said.

The second phase of the airlifting of Ghanaian pilgrims is expected to begin from the Kotoka international airport in Accra on June 30, 2022 with an improved operations than that of what happened in Tamale which was even described as satisfactory.

The grounds operation team of the board are already pitching camp at the King Abdul Aziz international airport in Medina waiting  to receive and usher in pilgrims from Accra.

Hajj communications/ Tanko Mohammed Rabiu 

GHANA HAJJ 2022: ADVANCE TEAM ARRIVES IN MEDINA AHEAD OF FIRST FLIGHT

 

A 13 member team led by Dr. Oluman, a member of the Hajj board has safely arrived in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia ahead of the arrival of the first flight from Ghana which is scheduled for the 20th.

 The primary responsibility of the team is to ensure all facilities and logistics are in place before the arrival of the pilgrims. They are also to welcome the pilgrims when they arrive in the holy cities of Madina and Makkah and to ensure the overall welfare of the pilgrims.

Source: Pilgrims Affairs Office Of Ghana Facebook page 

GOVERNMENT HAS EASED THE BURDEN OF GHANAIAN PILGRIMS WITH SUBSIDY

 

Ghanaian prospective pilgrims would have paid about GHC 45,000 as this year's Hajj fares if not with the intervention of Government's subsidy of more than GHC 10,000 for each prospective pilgrim who left his or her money in 2020 but are only to top up with GHC 7,000.

 Government is also taking up an amount of GHC 6,000 as subsidy for each new prospective pilgrim.

 The Director of Finance and Administration of the pilgrims Affairs Office Of Ghana under the Ghana Hajj board, Alhaji Farouk Hamza revealed this to Daily Graphic in an interview. 

 “For instance in Saudi, there have been increases in tariffs there, and even VAT has been increased by 200 per cent. Some of these variables were not anticipated that they would happen, there was the assumption that there would be some largely stable tariffs across the service providers, but that has not been the case.”

Across the world, there has been a wide depreciation of the dollar against many currencies especially developed countries like Ghana and is affecting the cost of embarking on this year's Hajj.

From our checks, many pilgrims from other countries are paying more than what Ghanaian pilgrims are to pay in total due to the factors explained by the director of finance of the Hajj board.

 Prospective pilgrims have been urged to also sacrifice in paying the top up fees due to their intentions to perform the last pillar of Islam, although government has subsidised more than GHC 10,000 and GHC 6,000 for those who paid in 2020 and now paying respectively.

Ghanaian prospective pilgrims will now pay an amount of GHC 39,000 for those paying now and GHC 26,500 for those who left their monies in 2020 instead of GHC 45,000 for the 2022 hajj fares.

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