Kasoa (CR), Aug. 2, 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.