Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony, President Mahama outlined five key priorities for the Board: early and predictable planning, transparency and accountability, safety and welfare of pilgrims, discipline and courtesy among officials, and strong stakeholder communication.

He urged the Board to begin preparations for the next Hajj immediately, ensuring that schedules, registration procedures, and cost structures are announced early to minimise anxiety among prospective pilgrims.

On transparency, he stressed that all payments must go through approved and traceable channels, warning against unofficial levies.

“Pilgrims and their families must know how their money is used. Trust is the currency of leadership,” he said.

President Mahama emphasised that the safety and welfare of pilgrims, especially the elderly, women, and persons with disabilities, must be treated as a sacred responsibility. He called for closer coordination with the Ghana Health Service, the Ministry of Transport, and Ghana’s Embassy in Riyadh.

He also tasked the Board with developing a Hajj Mobile Application to enable pilgrims to register, verify their status, track payments, and access travel information, noting that such innovation would reduce fraud and ease congestion.

The President further encouraged constant engagement with the National Chief Imam, regional imams, travel partners, and Saudi authorities, saying effective coordination and communication are essential to preventing crises.

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In a statement signed by former Hajj Board Chairman Ben Abdallah Banda, the Board expressed concern over what it described as an incomplete narrative surrounding the debts inherited by successive administrations.

According to the former Hajj Board, when the Nana Akufo-Addo administration took office in 2017, it inherited a $7.8 million debt from the previous Hajj managers under the NDC government.

This amount included payments made by 425 fully paid prospective pilgrims who were unable to embark on the 2016 Hajj pilgrimage, requiring either a refund or rebooking.

The Board credited former President Akufo-Addo and then-Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for ensuring that these stranded individuals were eventually airlifted.

The statement further clarified that at the end of the Board’s tenure in 2024, the outstanding debt stood at $4,859,250, as documented in the official handing-over notes submitted to the Chief of Staff.

“It is unfair and unfortunate to reference the current legacy debt without acknowledging the debt we inherited in 2017,” the statement read, stressing that governance is a continuum involving both assets and liabilities.

The former Board attributed the accumulation of debt in Hajj operations to various factors, particularly fluctuations in the foreign exchange market.

They urged the current Task Force to present a full historical account of the legacy debt to avoid misleading the Muslim community.

Despite the disagreement over the debt narrative, the former Hajj Board extended its best wishes to the new Hajj Task Force in their efforts to organize this year’s pilgrimage successfully.

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The new composition is as follows:

HAJJ BOARD

1.Alhaji Ben Abdallah Banda-           Chairman

2.Habib Iddrisu                       –           Member

3.Hajia Safia Mohammed      –           Member

4.Chief Saddique Jimala III  –           Member

5.Sheikh Amin Bonsu             –           Member

6.Alhaji Inusah Amadau        –           Member

7.Osumanu Yunusah

8.Mohammed Ibrahim Mohammed – Member

9.Seidu Zakaria                        –              Member

10.Abdul Rahman Alhassan Gomda –   Member

11.Alhaji Musah Akambonga –               Member

12.Hajia Azara Haroun –                          Member

HAJJ BOARD SECRETARIAT

13.Alhaji Farouk Hamza –           Executive Secretary

14.Ibrahim Adjei              –           Member

15.Ahmed Abu                  –           Member

16.Ahmed Tijani               –           Member

This comes after Mr Hamza’s appointment as a signatory to Ghana’s Hajj bank account in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and his description as a Finance Director.

A statement signed by the Executive Secretary to Akufo-Addo, Nana Asante Bediatuo, copied to the Board Chairman of the Pilgrims Affairs of Gana, Sheikh Ibrahim Cudjoe Quaye, stated the President is the only appointing authority for all appointments on the Hajj Board.

In view of this, Nana Bediatuo says Mr Hamza’s appointment is without basis, hence his removal.

Below is the full statement: