Pilgrims return starts October 8

The first batch of Ghanaian pilgrims will touch down on October 8; Chairman of the Pilgrims Affairs Office, Ghana has told DAILY GUIDE.

Alhaji Tanko Ibrahim Abdul Rauf who is in Saudi Arabia made the disclosure during a telephone interaction with the DAILY GUIDE yesterday.

The pilgrims at this time are busy making last minute purchases of souvenirs.

This year’s pilgrimage has been beclouded by one of the worst tragedies following the death of what conservative estimates claim is over a 1000 at the Jamarat Bridge.

The Chairman disclosed that a search team is continuing with its visits of hospitals and morgues to find out whether the five missing Ghanaians are either alive and on admission at the infirmaries or dead. So far however, no word is available about these persons.

Some Ghanaians at home have wondered why in this day and age the Saudi authorities are unable to keep track of pilgrims in their countries. The oil rich country has come under intensive queries across the world over its glaring inefficiency in the management of the Hajj, a blemish which resulted in the avoidable deaths of the over 1000 pilgrims.

Eyewitness accounts of what happened belie the story the Saudi authorities have put out as being the reason for the deaths.

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who is also on the pilgrimage but not part of the mainstream Ghanaian team is expected to return home on October 3, 2015.

Over five thousand Ghanaian pilgrims embarked on the pilgrimage this year.