Muslim communities across the country are calling and urging His Excellency President Nana Akuffo Addo to as matter of urgency reconstitute Ghana Hajj board to oversee the smooth operations of Hajj leading to the airlifting of Ghanaian hajj Pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
There is currently no board under the pilgrims affairs office of Ghana of the ministry of foreign affairs after the tenure of office of the immediate board led by Sheik I.C Quaye which ended in February this year.
The activities and operations of Hajj either Hajj season or off season has been stalled while many Hajj organisations across the world are actively and preparing for 2022 Hajj.
Few weeks ago, Saudi Arabia authorities eased a big chunk of the COVID-19 restrictions at the two Holy sites namely Masjid Haram and Masjid Nabawi in Mecca and Medina respectively to allow full capacity during prayers as well as easing restrictions in the cities in Saudi Arabia for the economy to bounce back.
This is an indication of a full capacity Hajj season in 2022 for all pilgrims across the world after missing out 2020 and 2021 Hajj and Ghana is yet to begin with its processes ahead of the next Hajj which is possible looking at the impressive progress of COVID-19 management in Saudi Arabia.
For this and many reasons, Ghanaian Mulsims are worried on the development at the Pilgrims affairs office of Ghana regarding its mandate of organizing Hajj for prospective Ghanaian pilgrims. The latest outburst coming from the Muslim communities especially prospective pilgrims is on the back of the press released issued by the out-going Hajj board chairman Shiekh I.C Quaye on behalf of the board for Muslims and prospective pilgrims to get COVID-19 vaccinated at the Jummah Mosques across the country from October 22 and October 29, 2021. But the release rather came in late in order to inform the Muslim community to get involved.
“We are very disappointed in the way Hajj operations are been handled during this COVID era though Ghana and the rest of the world had not embarked on the Hajj for two years now. Just look at our brothers from Nigeria, they are seriously mobilising and organizing their Hajj and Umrah irrespective of the ban on international Hajj and we are yet to vaccinate our pilgrims? And instead of us doing it well, this is what we are doing” a concern prospective pilgrim expressing his frustrations to our reporter.
Other Muslim and Muslim scholars equally expressed their worries and dissatisfaction on the manner Hajj issues are been handled in the country and thus blamed this on the absence of a board to steer the affairs of the pilgrims affairs office of Ghana for the next four years.
They are calling on president Akuffo Addo to reconstitute a board for the effective running of the pilgrims affairs office of Ghana.
Muslims in Ghana who were fortunate to get the news of the vaccination were disappointed at the various Jummah Mosques because no COVID-19 vaccination exercise is taking place despite the late press release from Sheikh I.C Quaye.
When contacted, the Ghana Health service said they are not aware of the exercise and they have not receive any official letter for that exercise and moreover, they are no vaccines available for vaccination in the region but rather expecting more in November and December for first and second doze respectively.
Majority of residents in Ghana especially prospective pilgrims have been vaccinated during the vaccination exercise last month and the previous vaccination organized by the GhanaHealthService. Most prospective pilgrims in the regions took advantage of the vaccination to get vaccinated instead of waiting for the Ghana Hajj Board to organise one for its clients.
” Almost all my clients have been vaccinated through the Ghana Health service’s COVID-19 vaccination exercise. I took that opportunity to mobilise them for the vaccination awaiting next year’s Hajj season because most of them are worried of not been part of the next Hajj after paying their Hajj fares because the vaccination is a key requirement for Hajj under pandemic”, a Hajj agent added to the concerns of many.
Hajj agents across the country have also mobilised their clients to be vaccinated even before the communication from Sheikh I.C Quaye.
Hajj communication blog
