General News of Tuesday, 4 January 2005

Source: Joy Online

Ghana?s Consul General In Saudi Goofs

The man at the centre of the Hajj pilgrimage fiasco has declined to talk to the media.

Ghana?s Consul General in Jeddah, Abdul Ahmadu Abukari has been accused of giving inaccurate information to the Hajj board, which led to the current problem facing pilgrims.

About two thousand five hundred Muslims who were expected to fly out on January 1 on a pilgrimage to Mecca are still grounded in Accra following the failure of the organizers of the trip to provide them an aircraft.

The Chairman of the Hajj Board, Alhaji Abdul Nangtomah earlier told Joy News that the delay was as a result of the inaccurate information given them by the Consul General in Jeddah over the mode of payment demanded by the aircraft owners.

When Joy News got through to Ghana?s consular office in Jeddah, an official indicated that Mr. Ahmadu Abukari had left explicit message that he would not comment.

The Hajj board was put in place to streamline activities regarding the pilgrimage to Mecca after an annual ritual of flight problems and other fraudulent practices by various organizers.

This has not helped matters either as the problem has taken a reoccurrence nature.