A cross section of the stakeholders. INSET: The Executive Secretary, other members of the Hajj Board and some stakeholders
The Ghana Hajj Board and stakeholders in the management of the annual pilgrimage yesterday held their maiden meeting ahead of the airlifting of Ghanaian pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia scheduled to commence towards the end of the month.
At the annual engagement preceding the commencement of flights, were representatives of the Ghana Airports Company Limited, Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Plant Quarantine, Aviance Ghana Limited Handling Company, National Intelligence Bureau, Veterinary Services, Ghana National Fire Service and Defence Intelligence and the Ghana Ambulance Service.
Each agency was taken through their checklists and questions posed where necessary.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Ghana Hajj Board, Alhaji Farouk Hamza expressed gratitude to the agencies for the services they have rendered over the years towards the successful airlift of pilgrims to and from Saudi Arabia.
The Executive Secretary disclosed details about this year’s Hajj which, according to him, would entail nine flights; four from Tamale and five from Accra. “We could alter this arrangement when especially passengers preferring to fly from Tamale outnumber those wishing to do so from Accra,” he told the representatives.
“We are projecting the airlift of 3,825 pilgrims from the country, but this could rise to 4,000. The Flynas aircraft to be engaged in the airlift has a capacity of 431, but because of luggage it could be doing 425. We are also looking at prolonged flight hours because the Sudanese war has necessitated a re-routing of the flight path. One aircraft would be involved in the back-to-back trip of 21 hours turnaround mission.”
An orientation exercise as was done last year would be undertaken to educate prospective pilgrims about the dos and don’ts of the Hajj and international travels in general.
In a related development, a member of the Hajj Board, Alhaji Manaf last Wednesday warned those who are ready to breach the Hajj protocols by for instance using non-Hajj visa to perform the pilgrimage that they would be in for a real trouble. “Such persons would be smoked out through technology and jailed after which they would be deported and banned from setting foot on Saudi soil for ten years.
“Sanctions also awaits drivers in Saudi Arabia who would be engaged in smuggling such persons around the Kingdom with a view to having them perform the Hajj,” he pointed out.
Activities at the Hajj Village have started peaking ahead of the commencement of the airlift scheduled to commence in Tamale at the end of this month.
By A.R. Gomda