By Muhammed Faisal Mustapha
The Chairman of the Ghana Hajj Board Sheikh I.C Quaye has said the 2018 hajj is the best pilgrimage ever in the history of Ghana.
The Chairman of the board said this during the Thanksgiving service held at the Hajj Village in Accra to give glory to the Almighty Allah for successful hajj operations in 2018.
The thanksgiving service was also to express appreciation to the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the Vice President Dr. Mahamoud Bawumia for their unconditional and willingness support to the hajj board that led to the massive improvement and successful hajj process last year.
The Nana Addo and Dr. Bawumia led administration he said have demonstrated commitment and changed the face of Hajj Operations for the sake of Muslim citizenry and the image of the nation as a whole.
He added that the 2018 hajj operations amply pointed to the beginnings of change as directed by the President at the swearing in ceremony of the board by calling on the board to ensure that hajj is devoid of the annual frustration and pain endured by pilgrims.
According to him long delay and waiting hours at the airport have been curtailed, visa acquisition processes properly streamlined, security during the hajj operation enhanced, medical services as well media relations, media monitoring
and general communication services have been given a facelift to the admiration of all and sundry.
“There is no gainsaying that vision, goal and promises of the Nana Akufo-Addo Government have been delivered to a very large extent” he noted.
He revealed that in 2018, 13 hotels housed 5, 500 Ghanaian pilgrims in clusters in the same vicinity with the capacity of each hotel ranged from 400 to 900 rooms.
He stated that allocation and assigning of hotels and rooms to pilgrims were done according to agents and supervised by the accompanying security officers adding that all rooms were self-contained and the facilities were in good condition which met the standards set by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia as well as that of the board.
“The rooms were spacious, and carpeted. Prayer and conference halls were provided, and so were restaurants, and clinic facilities” he added.
The Chairman of the board further revealed that pilgrims were fed twice daily throughout their stay in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as mandated by the Saudi Authorities.