The first Batch of Ghanaian Pilgrims from the Northern part of Ghana have taken off from the Tamale International Airport to Madina, Saudi Arabia for this year's Hajj. The aircraft carrying 421 pilgrims left the Tamale at 15:50 pm Ghana time.
Officials of the Ghana Hajj Board, family members and other stakeholders were at the airport to bid them farewell.
The operations that saw their departure was successful and was duly commended by the public.
By Tanko Mohammed Rabiu
By Tanko Mohammed Rabiu
The Director of Communications of the Ghana Hajj Board, Alhaji Abdul Rahman Gomda has revealed that, all is set for the airlift of Ghanaian Pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for this year's Hajj pilgrimage as every department of the board is ready up and doing in the overall operations.
Alhaji Gomda was the guest on the Islamic program on GTV dubbed 'Islam and Life' as part of the Hajj Board's media engagement prior to the start of the first phase of this year's Hajj operations starting in the Northern Regional capital of Tamale. Basically and primarily, the interaction is based on the preparations of this year's Hajj operations which comes with new innovations and improvements in the executions of each department of the operations.
The Director of Communications indicated the readiness of all stakeholders in the Hajj operations and how committed they are to put up their best in achieving yet another successful Hajj operations.
Alhaji Gomda explains that, the instability in Sudan will affect the travel hours the aircraft makes from Ghana to Saudi Arabia because there will be a rerouting to avoid passing through Sudan and that all arrangements in this regard is completed.
On the issue of effectiveness of the operations, Alhaji Gomda opined that, digitilization has been the pivot mechanism in running the affairs of the board right from payments of Hajj fares, general information on the operations, documentations, agents identification and other important data are found on the mobile phone application and some soficicated softwares used by the IT department and these has helped in making things possible for the Hajj Board.
Alhaji Gomda outlined the significance of the pilgrim orientation which started last year to every pilgrim especially those who do not have any idea on how to perform Hajj. The orientation also gives an opportunity for the medical team to screen and diagnose prospective pilgrims who may have serious health conditions to prepare them for the Holy journey. He said the orientation for this year will kick start in earnest to prepare pilgrims spiritually, mentally and physically.
On meals for Ghanaian pilgrims, he reassured Ghanaians of the usual provision of Ghanaian local dishes to pilgrims in the two daily meals schedules for Ghanaian pilgrims during the Hajj season as a way of respecting their food taste preference.
In general, Alhaji Gomda said every services needed to make Ghanaian pilgrims comfortable are ready including the usual high standard accommodation, exotic buses, stay in Mina ( Masha'ir') and all the other services.
The Non- Hajj Visa holders infiltration which Alhaji Gomda described as ' gate Crashers' will be well controlled to ease the pressure in Mina and to also protect the pilgrims in Mecca at all Ghana Hajj Board establishments and that every check point towards Mecca is currently on lock down for these gate Crashers.
Alhaji Gomda has revealed that, starting from next year, every non- Hajj Visa applicant will sign an undertaken before the Visa is issued and the applicant must comply which is to immediately leave Mecca after exhausting the Visa timeline and all these is another measure to end the infiltration by the gate Crashers.
He therefore urged prospective pilgrims or any potential pilgrim to stay away from shallantants who goes round deceiving innocent people to help them travel for Hajj pilgrimage.
End.
The Ghana Hajj Board and stakeholders in the management of the annual pilgrimage yesterday held their maiden meeting ahead of the airlifting of Ghanaian pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia scheduled to commence towards the end of the month.
At the annual engagement preceding the commencement of flights, were representatives of the Ghana Airports Company Limited, Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Plant Quarantine, Aviance Ghana Limited Handling Company, National Intelligence Bureau, Veterinary Services, Ghana National Fire Service and Defence Intelligence and the Ghana Ambulance Service.
Each agency was taken through their checklists and questions posed where necessary.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Ghana Hajj Board, Alhaji Farouk Hamza expressed gratitude to the agencies for the services they have rendered over the years towards the successful airlift of pilgrims to and from Saudi Arabia.
The Executive Secretary disclosed details about this year’s Hajj which, according to him, would entail nine flights; four from Tamale and five from Accra. “We could alter this arrangement when especially passengers preferring to fly from Tamale outnumber those wishing to do so from Accra,” he told the representatives.
“We are projecting the airlift of 3,825 pilgrims from the country, but this could rise to 4,000. The Flynas aircraft to be engaged in the airlift has a capacity of 431, but because of luggage it could be doing 425. We are also looking at prolonged flight hours because the Sudanese war has necessitated a re-routing of the flight path. One aircraft would be involved in the back-to-back trip of 21 hours turnaround mission.”
An orientation exercise as was done last year would be undertaken to educate prospective pilgrims about the dos and don’ts of the Hajj and international travels in general.
In a related development, a member of the Hajj Board, Alhaji Manaf last Wednesday warned those who are ready to breach the Hajj protocols by for instance using non-Hajj visa to perform the pilgrimage that they would be in for a real trouble. “Such persons would be smoked out through technology and jailed after which they would be deported and banned from setting foot on Saudi soil for ten years.
“Sanctions also awaits drivers in Saudi Arabia who would be engaged in smuggling such persons around the Kingdom with a view to having them perform the Hajj,” he pointed out.
Activities at the Hajj Village have started peaking ahead of the commencement of the airlift scheduled to commence in Tamale at the end of this month.
Source: Daily Guide
By Tanko Mohammed Rabiu
The Ghana Hajj Board has assured Prospective Hajj prigrims of value for money with a proactive security arrangement as they embark on this Holy journey.
According to a member of the Hajj Board, Alhaji Manaf on an Accra based radio station, Marhaba radio monitored by Hajjcommunications.com among many other things on Hajj 2024 preparations indicated that, the right of legitimate pilgrims will once again be respected and protected especially when the issue of intruders has now become a concern to the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and other Saudi Arabia agencies.
Alhaji Manaf who was the only guest on the Hausa language program said " We are are not taking it lightly at all with holders of tourist, visiting, work and other non- Hajj Visa holders who usually occupy our camps and facilities to the detriment of legitimate pilgrims. The security arrangement will be so tight and rigid in a manner that will eliminate any form of intrusions in our establishments".
He added " By May 23, 2024 to June 1, 2024, every non-Hajj visa holder is expected to leave the City of Mecca and any culprit found will be prosecuted with a six month jail term, a fine of 60,000 Saudi Riyals and a ten years ban from entering the Kingdom. For that matter, we as a Board will ensure the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia succeeds in this project which will go a long way to improve upon the Hajj ecosystem which Ghana participates yearly".
Alhaji Manaf has also revealed that, a smart card will be issued by the Saudi Arabia Authorities to every Hajj pilgrim with Hajj permit for easy identification and protection of pilgrims.
The host of the program, popularly known as Alhaji Paapa Angola recounted how in 2023, four Ghanaians who used the non-Hajj visas to Saudi Arabia with the intention to perform Hajj were arrested and detained until Hajj season was over, sent messages to the radio station seeking for intervention.
Paapa Angola reiterated the need for these persons to stay away from performing Hajj with the unapproved Visas during the Hajj season or do so on their own peril.
Again, Alhaji Manaf said credible information reaching him indicates that those who are already in Mecca with the unapproved Visas to perform this year's Hajj are paying $500 as initial payment to be added to about 50 people in a normal single room without water and food inclusive to the initial deposit. He said majority of these people are aged and many die even before the start of Hajj due to hardship and frustration of hide and seek.
On the cost of Hajj, Alhaji Manaf said, payments of all services are done in Saudi Arabia before the Hajj Board announces the fares and that is after the Hajj season agreement is sign between government of Ghana and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the Hajj conference and any payment gaps are handled by the government of Ghana because the Ghana Hajj Board is a government agency not a private entity to make unrealistic profits. And that every component of the services to be used by the pilgrims is embedded in the Hajj fare with fairness in accordance with the current prices of goods and services in Saudi Arabia.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has allocated a quota of 4000 for Ghana and the Ghana Hajj Board has scheduled a total of 425 pilgrims per flight for the Nine flights for both Tamale International Airport and Kotoka International Airport.
The start of the first phase of the airlift of Ghanaian pilgrims begins on May 28, 2024 in Tamale for pilgrims from the Northern part of Ghana.
END.
