Saudi Airline Flynas A-330 airlifting pilgrims from Tamale to Mecca
Four hundred and thirty five pilgrims from the three Northern Regions were yesterday airlifted from the Tamale International Airport to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, by Saudi airline Flynas aircraft.
That flight, being the first batch of Hajj 2018, will be followed by a second batch of 237.
The Chairman of the Hajj Board, Sheikh I.C Quaye, said last year government paid a debt of GH?31million incurred by the board’s predecessors, adding that but for that intervention there would not have been a Hajj in 2017 and this year.
He explained that government offset the debt because of the love it has for the Islamic religion. He pointed out that last year’s fare was maintained as government bore part of the cost.
Government, he went on, has made adequate arrangement for pilgrims’ feeding free of charge throughout out their stay in Madina and Mecca.
Interior Minister Ambrose Dery, who visited Tamale with the government delegation, told pilgrims to be good ambassadors of the country because this is very dear to the president.
The Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed, appealed to the Hajj Board to have all pilgrims fly from Tamale next year because after all the airport is an international one and the regional capital has the best Hajj village in the country.
This, he added, would boost economic activities in Tamale.
Salifu Saeed advised pilgrims to be one another’s keeper as well as abide by the rules and regulations of Saudi Arabia.
 FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale