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Disappointed Muslim pilgrims return home
Accra, Dec. 27, GNA - Muslim pilgrims within the premises of
the Aviance Cargo Village, near the Kotoka International
Airport, who were waiting for a flight to Mecca, Saudi
Arabia, have left for their various homes after learning
that their trip was no longer possible.
Numbering over 1,000, the pilgrims who had come from all the
regions had paid 20 million cedis each for their trip and
spent periods ranging from a few days to three weeks within
the premises of Aviance Cargo, as they waited for a flight
to send them to Saudi Arabia.
Earlier in the week, two chartered flights sent about 400 of
the stranded pilgrims to the Saudi Arabia, leaving about
1,000.
The Ghana News Agency (GNA) discovered that by 1400 hours on
Wednesday, the Aviance Cargo premises were almost empty with
only a few of the pilgrims packing their belongings.
The pilgrims, who had earlier shown a lot of hope and
courage even when their fate was quite bleak, looked quite
resigned to their predicament.
A pilgrim, Baba, said he together with others had travelled
all the way from the Northern Region in three cars.
"Apart from the money we have paid; just imagine the other
expenses and the inconvenience. Now we have to travel all
the way back," he said.
One lady said, "I do not have a cedi left. After waiting
here for more than one week, I have spent all the money I
had. I only pray that I can borrow some money that would
enable me to go back to Nsawam where I came from".
Asked whether they still hoped to embark upon the pilgrimage
the next time round, the pilgrims said they certainly would
once they were still alive.
They said what was most important was for the present Hajj
Council to be dissolved to make way for a more competent
body that would not repeat the same mistakes.
During the period of their wait, the pilgrims could make no
contact with the Hajj Council Board members. They said while
their offices were closed, none of them came to explain the
situation to them.
The pilgrims described this as most unfortunate since the
Council members were directly responsible to facilitate
their trip to the Holy Land.
They said they had been informed that their money would be
refunded to them in due course.
Ghanaian authorities had tried in vain to negotiate with
Saudi authorities to extend the time of closure of the
Jeddah Airport.
By tradition, the Airport is closed to flights a few days to
the beginning of the rituals of the Hajj.
Failure by pilgrims to make it to the Holy Land by the
deadline means that they would have to abandon the Hajj for
that particular year.
The National Hajj Council on Wednesday gave up its efforts
to fly hundreds of Muslims to Saudi Arabia for this year’s
Hajj because it was unable to secure extension of the
deadline for its plane to land in that country.
“The National Hajj Council wishes to inform all prospective
pilgrims and the general public that despite the frantic
efforts made by the Government and the Mission in Jeddah,
unfortunately extension (to land in Jeddah) was not
granted,” it said in a statement issued in Accra.
“In view of this, pilgrims cannot be air lifted to the
Kingdom to perform this year’s Hajj.”
The statement said a substantial number of pilgrims had
already been transported to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj.
“The National Hajj Council is consulting all stake holders
on the way forward and will provide a full statement on
Friday 29th December, 2006 at 1000 hours at the
International Press Centre,” it said.
“The Council reiterates that they will continue to generate
relationships with all and sundry, especially the Government
and affected pilgrims in order to protect the interests of
all,” it said.
GNA
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