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Government
votes US$200,000 for Hajj Pilgrims
Kasoa (CR), Aug. 2,
Ghanadot/GNA – Government has expended 200,000 US
dollars as residential expenses for prospective Muslims, who
are to make the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca this year.
The amount, Vice President John Dramani Mahama announced is
to ensure that prospective pilgrims were accommodated in one
housing enclave to spare them the hassles they go through
annually in their attempt to perform one of the most sacred
Islam rites.
Speaking at an inauguration of a Mosque and a school complex
financed by the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu
Sharubutu for the Nyanyarno community in the Central Region
on Saturday, the Vice President assured Muslims that
government would make every effort to ensure that the 2009
Hajj pilgrimage was event free.
Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam and every Muslim is
expected to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in
his or her lifetime, but its organization has been fraught
with many challenges in recent times.
Vice President Mahama said the government was expecting
stakeholders not to repeat the mistakes of the past and
noted with sadness that some unscrupulous individuals over
the years had taken undue advantage of pilgrims.
“No person should be cheated for wanting to perform a
religious sacrament,” Vice President Mahama said and
deployed cases of infighting among members of the previous
Hajj Committees.
The Vice President said if Committee members all had their
people at heart and appreciated the sacredness of the
pilgrimage, then they should not have allowed squabbles
among them.
In addition to the accommodation arrangements, which
received spontaneous cheers from the gathering, Vice
President Mahama also announced that government was devising
new payment arrangements for the Hajj. This declaration also
attracted wide applause.
Under the new arrangement, which would be effective next
year, prospective pilgrims would pay by instalment.
Vice President praised the Chief Imam for his sense of
foresight to help his people through investing in productive
ventures to improve the living conditions of Muslims and
Ghanaians at large.
He
challenged other religious leaders to emulate the example.
He pledged a GH¢10,000 support to the Chief Imam to enable
him complete his education project, which was expected to
offer tuition for pupils at the basic level.
The Vice President underscored the importance of formal
education and the need for the Muslim community to embrace
it for their girl-child, saying education should be a
priority over all other considerations.
A Muslim Youth leader, Mr Isahaku Abdul Latif described
government’s gesture to the Hajj as laudable because it
would help to reduce the hassles pilgrims go through each
year.
GNA |
