First batch of pilgrims leave

November 28, 2007
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE first batch of Ghanaian Muslim pilgrims are to leave for Saudi Arabia on December 7, 2007 to perform the pilgrimage (Hajj).
The date was fixed by the Saudi Arabian Hajj authorities, the body responsible for approving the dates that various countries are supposed to start arriving for the pilgrimage.
About 2,800 Ghanaians are expected to perform this year’s Hajj, which starts on December 19, 2007.
The Interim Hajj Management Committee has contracted ALAMA Airline of Libya to convey the pilgrims with two aircraft. The bigger aircraft with a 467 capacity is expected to make three trips, while the smaller one is, on the other hand, expected to make four trips.
A member of the committee, Alhaji B.B. Daddah, told the Daily Graphic that the 499 would-be pilgrims who could not embark on the pilgrimage last year would be the first to be airlifted.
He said so far the committee was about 75 per cent through with documentation and that by December 7, 2007, all the documents would be ready.
The Vice-Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Gado Mohammed, asked prospective pilgrims to bear with the members of the committee, since it was the Saudi authorities who had the final say on when the flight was supposed to start arriving at the Jeddah Airport.
He said the members of the committee were equally anxious to see the smooth take-off of the pilgrims, saying that "we are praying that it will go through successfully".
"With the amount of work done so far, we believe that by the time of departure, everything will be okay", Alhaji Mohammed said.