By Muyid Deen Suleman
Kumasi, June 09, GNA – The first batch of 433 Ghanaian Pilgrims are scheduled to be airlifted from Tamale to Saudi Arabia today, Friday June 9, aboard FLYNAS aircraft to perform this year’s Hajj.
Over 2,000 pilgrims are expected to be lifted this year in Tamale on six different flights latest by June 15 to perform the month-long spiritual purification in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey.
Alhaji Salim Bamba, a Communication Team Member of the Hajj Board, speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi, said all was set for Ghanaian pilgrims to be airlifted to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj.
He said necessary arrangements had been made by advance team of the Ghana Hajj Board committee to ensure that Ghanaian pilgrims were safe.
According to him, the Hajj Board medical team was expected to set up clinics in all hotels where Ghanaian pilgrims were going to be accommodated to address all medical issues concerning their well-being.
He hinted that all arrangements for hotel accommodations were carefully chosen in Madina, Makkah, Mina and Arafat to ensure that pilgrims did not suffer due to the long distance.
Alhaji Bamba said the Ghana Hajj Board Education (Da’wa) Committee would be in Saudi Arabia to educate and guide pilgrims throughout the Hajj activities.
The first flight from Kotoka International Airport is also expected to take off on June 17.
Alhaji Ben Abdallah Banda, Board Chairman of the Ghana Hajj Board is also expected to be in Tamale to bid farewell to the first batch of the pilgrims.
GNA