Hundreds of Muslims embarking on the Hajj pilgrimage are stranded in Tamale due to an emergency at the destination country – Mecca.
About 500 pilgrims were expected to be airlifted from the Tamale International Airport Thursday at 8.30pm but the flight was cancelled.
Airport managers have hinted the problem is coming from source and are working frantically to fix the situation.
Most of the pilgrims are “frustrated”.
Tanko reports that “hopes have been smashed” following the development, adding the carrier is yet to leave the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“Pilgrims are desperate and uncertain. Nearly, a thousand scheduled to travel from yesterday and today may still remain in Ghana,” Tanko noted.
Meanwhile, the Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is expected to address the pilgrims at the Tamale Sports Stadium today, Friday August 11, 2017.
The pilgrims are expected to be airlifted in batches. Flying pilgrims direct from the Tamale Airport to Mecca was resuscitated by the John Mahama administration in 2016.




2 COMMENTS

  1. THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT IN RELIGIOUS MATTERS I GHANA IS PLAINLY LACK OF WISDOM AND WASTE OF RESOURCES.
    LEAVE THE HAJ TO THE MUSLIMS. THEY ARE OVER-RICH ENOUGH TO RUN THEIR OWN HAJ WITHOUT THE GOVERNMENT BRIBERY FOR THEIR VOTES.
    WHEN DID WE HEAR OF EVEN RICHER COUNTRIES SPENDING A DIME ON ANY RELIGIOUS PILGRIMAGE?
    WHEN DID WE HEAR OF SAUDI ARABIA OR IRAN ASSISTING PILGRIMS TO GO TO JERUSALEM??
    WHY MUST EVERY EMPTY-HEADED, MONEY-WASTING PROGRAMME COME FROM AFRICA?!! YET, WE TURN ROUND WITH BEGGING BOWLS TO THE SENSIBLE COUNTRIES FOR PENNIES AND CENTS. IF THESE COUNTRIES WERE ALSO TO EMBARK ON SUCH SENSELESS MONEY-WASTING ECONOMY, WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO GIVE AFRICA THEIR SCRAPS?
    I SOMETIMES BLAME THE WEST FOR ALWAYS GIVING AID TO WASTEFUL AFRICAN COUNTRIES, ALWAYS “FETCHING WATER WITH BASKETS”.
    WISE UP AFRICA! ENOUGH OF THE STUPIDITY.

  2. Stupidity at its best. Why do government of Ghana have to involve in Hajj pilgrimage? I cannot for the life of me understand this.
    Senseless and money-wasting ventures are always rife in Ghana.
    How can a government go cap-in-hand begging for aid, grants and loans and then waste these funds on irrelevant issues that doesn’t contribute an iota of relevance in its economic revenue?
    This is very disgusting and displeasing to read. This is not the fault of the current government only but all previous governments have been at fault too by encouraging this.
    Is it not even against the constitution to favour a particular religion? What happens when other religions wants similar government support for their “pilgrimage” ?
    Unless this is a way to appease and win particular vote and support for some particular groups I really do not see the need for government intervention on an otherwise private affairs. Leave this to their own committee.
    This cannot and must not happen in a democratic civic society.

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