2 Ghanaian Pilgrims reported dead in Mecca

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wpid-HAJJ.jpg?As Plot To Blot Hajj Flops

By A. A. Yayra

In what seems to be a calculated ploy to dent the superb manner the organization of this year?s Hajj has gone so far, opposition inclined media Houses have started carrying stories intended to take the shine out of the smooth airlifting of pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has been hailed by the Muslim community as unprecedented.

With less than 24 hours after President John Mahama at the Eid prayers commended the Hajj Chairman and his team for a good job done so far, an Accra based radio station reported of how some Ghanaian pilgrims have been left without food and shelter for days.

In a deliberate and desperate attempt to at all cost equate this year?s Hajj organization to the haphazard manner it was organized under the previous administration they are sympathetic to, the Station, which had earlier this month painted a gloomy picture of the environment of the Hajj Village in Accra, reported that the Hajj Chairman, Alhaji Abdul Rauf Tanko had abandoned pilgrims without providing them with food and adequate accommodation as promised.

Even when the Hajj Committee throughout it dealings has made it known and was widely publicized in the media that this year?s fare was $3450, which included feeding only at Mina, accommodation, transport ?among other things, this media house, in a report the Hajj Committee chair described as mischievous, reported that the pilgrims paid $4500 as fare to Mecca.

Explaining the incident to The Al-Hajj, Alhaji Rauf Tanko stated that due to the danger involved in allowing pilgrims to cook themselves, the Saudi Authorities made special arrangement for mass cooking by well-established catering organizations though, using natives of each country to serve pilgrims at Mina due to the danger posed by individuals using gas stoves in tent facilities in the past.

?Because on the first day the food was delayed when it was brought people rushed on it creating a stampede, from there we made arrangement for every tent to present four people as leaders to be receiving the food on behalf of the pilgrims?which has worked out successfully, so I am surprise at reports that I have left people to their fates without food,? he added.

In a related development, reports from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where about 5400 Ghanaian pilgrims joined other Muslims across the World to perform this year?s Hajj is that, but for the unfortunate passing on of two Ghanaian pilgrims, all is going on well as at yesterday according to the Chairman of the Hajj Committee, Alhaji Abdul-Rauf Tanko.

The two pilgrims, a male (53) and a female (56) both from the Northern region are said to have died of acute diabetic condition and cardiac arrest respectively.

Speaking to The Al-Hajj from Mecca, Chairman of the National Hajj Committee, Alhaji Abdul Rauf Tanko whom President Mahama whiles addressing Muslims at the Eid-al Adha prayers two days ago christened ?sole commissioner? due to his masterful organizational skills, stated that this year?s hajj has been hitch free this far.

?Things are going according to plan?so fare all that we promised the pilgrims as part of the new package that led to increment of the fare from $3100 to $3450, we are in the processing of delivering them, but the only misfortune is that we have lost two of our pilgrims,? he stated.

Due to the masterful handling of issues of this year?s Hajj, many Ghanaian, especially non-Muslim were unaware of the airlifting of pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, because the hustle prospective pilgrims went through during the New Patriotic Party regime which ranges from delayed flight to other pertinent problems were all absent.

This success story was what attracted the attention of President John Dramani, who in front of a multitude of Muslims at the Independence Square at the Eid prayers hailed the organizers of this year?s Hajj with a specific mention of the Hajj Chairman?s name as worth of praising.

According to the President, with the kind of candor employed in the organizations of this year?s Hajj, subsequent once under his reign would even be much better and become a shining example for other countries to emulate.

The first of the returning flights would touch down in Accra on October 27, 2013 and it is expected that all the pilgrims will be flown home successfully.

Source:?The Al-Hajj

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