The Vice President speaking during the surprise visit yesterday as Sheikh IC Quaye and others listen
Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia yesterday visited the Hajj Village ahead of the departure of the first batch of Ghanaian pilgrims from Tamale in a week’s time.
He expressed optimism that this year’s Hajj will stand out as the best organised in the history of the annual religious exercise in the country.
According to him, President Akufo-Addo was not wrong in his choice of Sheikh IC Quaye as Chairman of the Ghana Hajj Board and appointing ably young men to assist him in the task.
He added that Sheikh IC Quaye has showed leadership in the management of the exercise.
The Vice President added that the Hajj Board members should not rest on their oars but strive to achieve even more and make the country proud.
Sheikh IC Quaye, in his response, thanked the Vice President for the surprise visit to the Hajj Village and assured him that the young men the President has chosen to support in the management of the Hajj are poised to achieve even more.
The chairman, in his characteristic humorous fashion, told his august guest that by the new developments at the Hajj Village, it is no longer a village but centre.
The Managing Director of the Ghana Airports Company Limited Nana Yaw Attafuah rushed to the Hajj Village upon hearing about the Vice President’s unannounced visit.
The Vice President later visited the newly refurbished facilities at the Hajj Village and expressed satisfaction about the infrastructural development at the location.
Earlier, an advisor to the Chairman, Dr. Sadick organised a workshop on communications for the Welfare Committee to prime the members on effective handling of the critical subject.
The Committee is made up of persons who would render an assortment of services to Ghanaian pilgrims, both at home and in Saudi Arabia.
In his remarks, Dr. Sadick counseled the members on the importance of communications, as he referred them to how the Prophet of Islam was bestowed with the spiritual task of prophethood, quoting the relevant Surah from the Holy Quran.
Yesterday, the stakeholders met to review the progress made ahead of the Tamale airlift and posted a positive picture of the state of preparedness.
The Vice President, since the Hajj Board was empaneled and sworn into office, has consistently followed its activities to ensure that the usual challenges facing the annual religious exercise are eliminated or reduced to the barest minimum.
Towards this end, he has expressed his readiness to do everything possible to achieve the desired objective.
By A.R. Gomda