Some stranded Muslim pilgrims at the Hajj Village in Accra are accusing the Hajj Board of preferential treatment in the selection of people to enplane on the last flight to Mecca.
They have been waiting for days and hoping to join the millions of pilgrims embarking on this year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
Chances are that these pilgrims won’t be able to make it to the holy land this year as the scheduled 11 flights have all taken off. The remaining pilgrims are alleging that the Board is favouring party functionaries and people close to them in what will be the last flight to Mecca.
For the first time in many years, the Ghana Hajj Board ensured the 2016 Hajj pilgrimage started in Tamale.
Four instead of the three scheduled flights, which was supposed to airlift some 1500 would-be pilgrims, rather airlifted 2000 would-be pilgrims in the three Northern Regions directly to Saudi Arabia from the Tamale International Airport.
The rest who could not fly from Tamale were scheduled to travel from Accra, the Hajj Board said.
Communication Director of the Board, Mohammed Amin Lamptey said they didn’t want the pilgrims from the three Northern Regions to travel down to Accra to begin their journey.
Mr Lamptey earlier told Joy News years of experience has informed the Board’s decision to start airlifting would-be pilgrims from the three Northern Regions.
He said, the upgrade of the Tamale Airport has also made things easier.
The Accra operations were supposed to have ended on Wednesday but so far some pilgrims who said they have paid their monies long ago are stranded and no one is telling them anything.
Speaking on the Super Morning Show this Friday, Mr Lamptey explained that this was due to the smaller aircraft used in airlifting them, adding although some have paid, they have issues with visas and documentation.
He said the backlog of people are to go on the last flight, which is expected to be on Monday.
Mr Lamptey said so far, some 5000 pilgrims have been airlifted but failed to tell how many pilgrims are left to go.
An initial communication from the Board told Joy News Ghana is to fly some 5424 pilgrims to Hajj this year.
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