Alhaji Ben Abdullah Banda, Board Chairman, Ghana Hajj Board
The Ghana Hajj Board has announced its collaboration with Saudi Arabian security agencies to apprehend Ghanaians trying to perform this year’s hajj with unauthorized visas.
In a statement, the board clarified that only the Hajj Visa issued by Saudi Arabian authorities is legitimate for performing the pilgrimage.
The board emphasized its exclusive recognition and mandate by Saudi authorities to organize and manage the affairs of Ghanaian pilgrims.
"We are collaborating with the security agencies in Saudi Arabia, so if you try to sneak into Madina and enter any of our tents to sleep or feed on our food, we will arrest you or put you in a situation that may be unpleasant for you," Graphic.gh.com quoted the board.
Although the board acknowledged that the price for this year's pilgrimage, approximately GH¢75,000, is high, it assured that the cost includes return tickets, accommodation, food, transportation within Saudi Arabia, and safety and security measures.
"We, therefore, wish to caution prospective pilgrims and others to be wary of persons, including travel and tour agencies, that are advertising their seeming abilities to ferry people to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a lesser amount of money. Those who get convinced by such persons and pay monies to them do so at their peril," stated the Board Chairman, Alhaji Ben Abdullah Banda, during a press conference in Accra last Sunday.
Alhaji Banda announced that the first flight to Saudi Arabia for this year’s hajj would depart from Tamale today, carrying over 400 pilgrims who will be received in Madina by an advanced team of the board and officials from Ghana’s Embassy in Saudi Arabia.
He detailed that the airlifting in Tamale would conclude on Friday, May 31, 2024, while flights from Accra are scheduled from Sunday, June 2 to Tuesday, June 6, 2024. The chairman assured that decent accommodation and transportation within Saudi Arabia had been arranged for the pilgrims’ stay.
A medical team has also been assembled to cater to the health needs of the pilgrims throughout the pilgrimage. Additionally, the board has conducted a series of orientation programs in Yendi, Wa, Tamale, Kumasi, and Accra to educate pilgrims on the dos and don’ts of hajj.
"We wish to admonish our prospective pilgrims to be good ambassadors of Ghana while in Saudi Arabia," Alhaji Banda concluded.
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