The National Hajj Board led by its Finance Officer Alhaji Faruck Hamza and some officials of Aviation Space and Hajj agents, has inspected facilities at the newly constructed hajj terminal at the Tamale International Airport on Tuesday June 14, 2022.
The inspection formed part of efforts put in place by the government and hajj board to ensuring an incident free Hajj.
The Multi-purpose terminal is expected to ensure the safety, comfort and security of the about 1,732 Muslims expected to embark on this year’s pilgrimage to the holy land of Makkah, Saudi Arabia from the Northern Zone of Ghana.
Alhaji Faruck Hamza after inspecting the facilities expressed his satisfaction and commended government for putting up such a facility for this year’s Hajj operations.
“We are here today to ascertain for ourselves the state of readiness of the new Hajj terminal that has just been constructed by government here at the Tamale International Airport. Indeed, we are highly impressed because we have seen and convinced that the place is much ready for this year’s Hajj operations”, he said.
He indicated that almost all the necessary arrangements has been secured at the facility to ensure a smooth Hajj operations adding, “433 prospective pilgrims from the North are expected to be airlifted to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Monday 20th, June, 2022”.
Alhaji Faruck also explained that, “people who accompanied pilgrims will be stopped at the check points. Beyond that check point, only one person can accompany a pilgrim to the terminal. Those are the measures that has been put in place to ensure there is security, sanity and order at the place”, he stated.
Four (4) flights have been scheduled to airlift about 1,732 pilgrims directly from the Tamale International Airport to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
A total of 3,069 prospective pilgrims from Ghana are expected to take part in this year’s Hajj.
Saudi Arabia last month announced it would allow one million people from both inside and outside the kingdom to perform the Hajj which will take place in July, compared with about 60,000 last year and less than 1,000 in 2020.
One of the five pillars of Islam, the Hajj must be undertaken by all Muslims who have the means at least once in their lives.
Usually, one of the world’s largest religious gatherings, about 2.5 million people participated in 2019 in the last Hajj before the coronavirus outbreak.
Barring overseas pilgrims caused deep disappointment among Muslims worldwide, who typically save for years to take part.
The Hajj consists of a series of religious rites that are completed over five days in Islam’s holiest city Makkah, and its surrounding areas of Western Saudi Arabia.
Story By: Alhassan Yakubu |www.diamondfmonline.com |Ghana
