Chief Imam fights Hajj council over protocol list

The National Chief Imam Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu has departed for the Hajj but not without controversy.

He was said to have expressed reservations about not being accorded the privilege of an entourage and even threatened to disembark in protest, but was prevailed upon not to do so, as this could have negative repercussions on the National Democratic Congress (NDC) campaign, Daily Guide learnt.

Alhaji Halidu Haruna, spokesperson for the Hajj Council, dismissed this explaining that 11 visas had been issued for the cleric's entourage.

He particularly mentioned the name of Abdul latif, a close confidante of the Imam, as one of the beneficiaries of the largesse.

When Daily Guide reached out to the said Abdul Latif, he declined that 11 persons had been provided with the protocol arrangement as being put out by the spokesperson.

According to him, the visa on his travel document was for last year. For him therefore, the Chief Imam was in Saudi Arabia without any of his aides by his side as convention demanded.

But the Hajj Council spokesperson said that the 11 persons offered the opportunity could still make it, especially as according to him, arrangements were being made to airlift the outstanding pilgrims in town.

The perennial challenge of airlifting all pilgrims appeared to be rearing its head again in this year's operations, as some of them showed signs of frustration and had even concluded that they would not be able to make this year.

Although people had put the figure at over 500, the Hajj spokesperson denied it, explaining that it was 60 and that President John Mahama had ordered the chartering of an aircraft to airlift them today.

Alhaji Haruna explained that those stranded had a visa problem emanating from processing anomalies.

Some flights, he said, were not full and went with empty seats onboard because at the time of departure, passengers were not around.

Some disappointed pilgrims had already left the Hajj Village for their various homes, hoping that next year they would be able to make it.

“We are working around the clock to get them to go today. The President himself is involved,” the spokesperson said.

This year had witnessed an usual number of protocol tickets, a reference to tickets doled out as gratis to favorites of government.