Gov’t saddled with GH¢23m Hajj debt

The government is saddled with an outstanding debt of GH¢23 million incurred by the previous Hajj Board, according to deep throat government sources.

According to documents sighted by Starrfmonline.com, 452 would-be pilgrims who paid for the Holy journey last year, but were not airlifted to Saudi Arabia must also be reimbursed.

Confirming the development to Starrfmonline.com, an impeccable source within the transition team said “the payment cannot be accounted for”, adding part of the debt is owed a Saudi airline, Fly Nas, which has been airlifting pilgrims from Ghana to Saudi Arabia over the years. Some Hajj agents, Starrfmonline.com can reveal, are also being owed their commissions among others.

“The disturbing situation,” the source noted, “must be resolved soon else our next Hajj pilgrimage will be in jeopardy.”

“The Hajj operation will still go ahead without hitches, I can promise you,” the official assured.

Starrfmonline.com understands an auditing will soon be launched into the previous Hajj Board’s operation to “fix the anomaly.”

Efforts to get an official response from the Hajj board proved futile.

It will be recalled that the Pilgrims Affairs Office of Ghana (PAOG) last September apologised to unsuccessful pilgrims who were left stranded for days at the Airport and were unable to be airlifted to Saudi Arabia due to “circumstances beyond their control”.

The chairman of the PAOG Alhaji Abdul Rauf Tanko Ibrahim promised to clear all refund upon his return from Saudi Arabia after the Hajj Pilgrimage in October 2016.