Stranded Hajj pilgrims call for assistance

Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, former running mate of Prof. J.E.A. Mills, has urged the Interior Ministry and the National Disaster Management Organisation, (NADMO) to urgently provide relief items to stranded Hajj pilgrims in Accra.

Over 300 pilgrims have since Thursday been stranded at the Cargo Village in Accra due to delays in their flights to Saudi Arabia.

Utilities are acutely lacking for the stranded victims some of who had travelled from very distant homes to embark on the journey of faith.

Alhaji Mumuni expressed concern over their plight and called on all Ghanaians to show concern by going to their aid. This was after he presented the stranded pilgrims with some food items.

He was shocked that after years of repeated failings in organising the Hajj, the authorised body for the annual event continue to wallow in mediocrity and subject those making the trip to inhumane treatment.

The Pilgrims accused the Hajj Board of reneging on an earlier promise to provide a plane on Sunday morning for the trip and wondered if the trip would ever come on at all.

“Right now we do not know when we are going. People have no place to urinate, there are no toilet facilities, three to four days now even bathing is a problem, there is no food”, said a disappointed pilgrims.

Said another; “Every year we suffer at the hands of the Hajj Council, every year and some of us we've decided that next time our parents should join other countries and go.”

Meanwhile the Chairman of the Hajj Board, Ahmed Saeed has refuted allegations that the pilgrims are without any facilities and said enough preparation had been made for their comfort, insisting that a flight is due at dawn on Monday.