Alhaji Haruna Alhasan, Chairman of MUDI, addressing the audience with Manan Gado Mohammed (right) and Abubakar Kamaldeen
A member of the Hajj Board, Mohammed Osumanu Yunusah, has warned prospective Hajj pilgrims against paying monies into the personal accounts of unaccredited hajj agents.
He indicated that the situation had led to the incarceration of unscrupulous persons who had been accused of taking lump sums of money from unsuspecting prospective pilgrims last year, with the promise of facilitating their pilgrimage.
Mr. Yunusah, who is also a shareholder of the Muslim Ummah Development Initiative (MUDI) Group, said the delay in making payment to the board by some agents was as a result of ‘connection tickets’ which are usually offered at lower prices.
Connection tickets are generally referred to tickets that are resold to agents usually at lower prices due to the inability of original owners to embark on the pilgrimage.
He warned the public against dealing with people who parade themselves as Hajj Board members and would want to receive monies from pilgrims on behalf of the board.
Mr. Yunusah, who was speaking at the maiden edition of Free Hajj School organised by the MUDI Hajj Umra Services Limited, also shared his experience on how he was nearly arrested on two occasions for picking up luggage during pilgrimage.
He therefore cautioned against the act of claiming and picking up luggage at the airport especially when one was unaware of its content.
“Never help anyone carry his luggage at the immigration check. I did it and nearly landed myself into trouble,” he said.
The Free Hajj School, held in Accra over the weekend, is a multi lingual annual programme that will be held for the next five months across various venues in Accra, Kumasi and Tamale.
This year’s edition was themed: “Schooling the pilgrims for a complete, accepted and rewarding hajj”.
MUDI Free Hajj School seeks to complement the efforts of the National Hajj Board by providing education to potential Ghanaian pilgrims.
It provides courses that cover the historic background of Hajj and Umrah, the jurisprudence of Hajj and Umrah and the practical guide of how to perform Hajj and Umrah.
The Chairman of MUDI, Alhaji Haruna Alhasan, expressed his displeasure over the level of ignorance and suffering of some Ghanaian pilgrims during hajj.
He shared his frustration when he performed his pilgrimage without any one educating him on the nitty-gritty of hajj.
For his part, the Group Chief Executive Officer of MUDI Group, Abdel-Manan Abdel-Rahman, lamented over the poor conduct of pilgrims during hajj when some would be seen hurling insults at one another or fighting in public.
He indicated that all these detestable acts emanated from the lack of education on the part of pilgrims who fail to appreciate the process.
By Issah Mohammed and Mohammed Brimah