200 Ghana pilgrims stranded as Hajj cheque bounces

Hajj pilgrims

The National Hajj Committee has indicated that about 200 prospective pilgrims scheduled for this year's Hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia cannot embark on the holy journey because a cheque presented to them as payment for the journey has bounced on two occasions.

The cheque was presented on behalf of the prospective pilgrims by an agent whom the Committee refused to name. So far, 3, 724 out of the 4, 300 prospective pilgrims have been airlifted to the Holy Land.

The spokesperson of the National Hajj Committee, Alhaji Halidu Haruna, told Citi News that the fate of the 200 prospective pilgrims whose cheque bounced now hangs in the balance.

Alhaji Haruna, however, stated that the Committee is not focused on prosecuting the agent who presented the dud cheque.

He described the organisation of this year's Hajj as successful and that majority of intended pilgrims on the protocol list have been airlifted to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Alhaji Ayana Yakubu, Chief Executive Officer of the Tamale-based Ayana Travel and Tour Agency, has described as untrue a Ghana News Agency report that a total of 300 prospective pilgrims, who have fully paid for visa and other expenses to travel to the Holy Land of Mecca are stranded in Tamale.

The news wire's report published in the Tuesday edition of the Daily Guide newspaper claimed that visas for some 300 prospective pilgrims were yet to be secured by the Ayana Travel and Tour Agency that had been contracted to convey them to Mecca.

Responding to the publication, Alhaji Yakubu said only 104 out of 800 intended pilgrims who registered with his agency were advised to stay in Tamale pending when their documents will be ready for their take-off from Accra to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.