Sheikh Mohammed Ridwan
An Islamic scholar and community radio station owner based in Kumasi has petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to have prospective pilgrims from the middle belt fly from Prempeh I International Airport.
Sheikh Mohammed Ridwan, Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Radio, appealed to the President to direct the Ghana Hajj Board to make Kumasi a functional international departure point for pilgrims from Ghana’s middle belt.
In the petition, Sheikh Ridwan expressed concern over what he described as the persistent failure of successive Hajj Boards to airlift pilgrims directly from Kumasi to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, despite repeated assurances over the years.
According to him, pilgrims from the Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, Ahafo and adjoining regions are often compelled to undertake long and exhausting road journeys to either the Kotoka International Airport in Accra or the Tamale International Airport to be airlifted to Saudi Arabia.
He noted that the situation has imposed severe physical, emotional and financial hardship on pilgrims, particularly the elderly and those with health challenges, many of whom are undertaking the pilgrimage for the first time in their lives.
Sheikh Ridwan also criticised what he termed the lack of meaningful engagement by the Ghana Hajj Board with aviation stakeholders, stressing that the option of chartering medium-sized aircraft capable of operating from the Prempeh I International Airport has not been seriously explored, despite its feasibility.
Beyond the travel challenges, the Alpha Radio CEO also raised concerns about the conditions pilgrims are subjected to at the Hajj Village in Accra. He cited inadequate accommodation, poor sanitation, severe overcrowding and prolonged waiting periods caused by delays and administrative bottlenecks, which he said expose pilgrims to health risks and unnecessary suffering.
Describing Hajj as a profound spiritual obligation, Sheikh Ridwan argued that the state has a moral responsibility to ensure that pilgrims are treated with dignity, fairness and compassion. He said the continued exclusion of Kumasi as an international Hajj departure point places pilgrims from the middle belt at a disadvantage.
The petition was copied to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II; the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene; and the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council.
FROM David Afum, Kumasi