Hajj payments pullout next week

The Ghana Hajj Board, as part of its efforts to ensure transparency in the management of the annual religious exercise, plans to release a full list of paid-up prospective pilgrims next week in the form of a pullout in Daily Guide newspaper.

The deadline for the receipt of payment of the Hajj package of $3450 or GH¢15,000 is tomorrow.

The Chairman of the Ghana Hajj Board Sheikh I.C. Quaye has enjoined all those that want to perform the Hajj this year to meet the deadline tomorrow and pay before the curtains are drawn over payments.

Some names of paid-up prospective pilgrims have already been published in Daily Guide and the latest updated and complete one would be contained in the pullout next week.

Prospective pilgrims are kindly asked to pay into the Hajj accounts at any UniBank branch or through accredited agents across the country.

Those who pay directly into the Hajj accounts should take the receipts thereof to the Hajj Village with their passports or completed passport application forms for processing.

Six flights are scheduled to fly from Tamale and seven from Accra.

Various infrastructural activities are taking place at the Hajj Village just so prospective pilgrims will be comfortable prior to their airlift from the place.

The Head of IT at the Ghana Hajj Board, Dr. Sani Abdulai, is working around the clock to ensure that the appropriate software is acquired to boost management of the Hajj.

The Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia had earlier charged the IT Chief to ensure that prospective pilgrims know the dates of their departures to avoid the inconvenience of sleeping at the Hajj Village not sure of whether they would fly or not.

In the modern world of advanced IT, such hassles are avoidable when the appropriate measures are applied, he said during an engagement of the Hajj managers.

Last Friday, state agencies such as the Ghana Airports Company Limited, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Ghana Police Service and others conferred with the Hajj Board over modalities for this year’s exercise.

Management of vehicular traffic, security management and others, which hinge upon the smooth operation of Hajj 2017, were discussed, among others.

Such conferences precede every Hajj exercises over the years.

According to the Head, Medical, Dr. Zakariah Seidu, the screening of prospective pilgrims, the flagship programme of the board’s medical unit, was on course.

The Tamale/Bolga screening date is 8th July 2017, while Accra would be on 11th July 2017 and Kumasi, 16th July 2017.