After the stampede that occurred at Mina in Saudi Arabia in which several pilgrims from several countries died, there was uneasy calm in Ghana especially among the Muslim community who had relatives in Mecca performing the annual rites. There was justification for this understandably.
In the wake of this tension, the representative of Ghana to Saudi, Alhaji Saeed Sinari, told the media that no Ghanaian died on the 21st September, 2015. It is not known with what information he made that statement.
The head of the Hajj Board, who is also the NDC Parliamentary Candidate for the Yagaba/Kubori constituency of the Northern Region, then came out to contradict what Ambassador Sinari said. He admitted that 5 Ghanaian Pilgrims died but not out of the stampede that claimed several lives. He said the medical Doctor in charge of the pilgrims alleged some died of respiratory problems and others died of cardio related troubles. In the case of one Moro Ayana, cause of death, according to the statement that was released by Alhaji Tanko Abdul-Rauf, was not known.
There was yet another story this time saying that 3 Ghanaians had died from the stampede.
The drama was to be magnified when on October 1st 2015, Ambassador Sinari in an interview on Citi FM’s eye witness news disclosed that 8 persons died naturally, five died as a consequent of the stampede and 21 Ghanaians were missing.
After Ambassador Sinari’s interview, The Deputy Director of Communication for the Hajj board, Mohammed Amin Lamptey, contradicted what the ambassador said and insisted in an interview with the media on October 2, 2015 that the ambassador lied!
The question is- how many Ghanaians actually died in Mecca? Did they die naturally or from the stampede? Are the 21 Ghanaians reportedly missing actually missing or dead? What are the names of the missing persons? Why are there contradictions in the reports of the same government appointees handling the hajj issue? Do they want to hide something?
The Hajj Board and the Ambassador were deeply dishonourable in their handling of the communication surrounding the events in Mecca. It is clear that there is no collaboration among the various wings responsible for the hajj activities. The psychological trauma was more in the chameleon like kind of news that was being churned out by the accredited bodies than the real people who died. Was this also the continuation of the local political propaganda by the government of the NDC and its assigns?
As Muslims, we don’t falter in our faith when it comes to death. We believe that we all came from Allah and to Allah shall we all return. We also do believe that the journey back to Allah could come in many ways and forms. The Muslim is easily able to accept death in any way and form that it comes most times. This is just to illustrate the faith of the Muslim in dead especially.
This is not secret to Muslims including Parliamentary Candidate Alhaji Abdul Rauf of the Hajj Board and Ambassador Sinari. That is where my difficulty is in their communication about the number that died in Mecca and also the mode of death.
It is obvious from the narration that occurred amongst the persons entrusted to handle issues about the Hajj operations that they failed. You don’t talk to the media when you don’t have enough facts and figures. There are times silence is communication and our leaders must not forget this. Not talking at all is better than churning out inaccurate stuff.
I totally disagree with Ambassador Sinari’s intended recommendation that the aged should be banned from performing the Hajj. The issue of who performs the Hajj is a religious decision not a political one. It is a contradiction to the Muslim faith and belief for the ambassador to infer that the aged are usually in the majority when it comes to death in the Holy land. His statement is more of an opinion than a fact.
Ambassador Sinari must be reminded that To Him we all came and to him we shall all return. God has the right on when to take our lives, Where to take our lives, how to take our lives and at what age he should take it. Death in Mecca is not dependent on old age but by the decree and will of God.
Assalamu- Alaikum to all
Akilu Sayibu,
Email: akisayi@yahoo.com