Tamale, Northern Region — July 16, 2025
The Ghana Hajj Taskforce has issued a strong clarification following a media report aired by GHOne Television, which attributed comments to the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central and Majority Leader, Hon. Mahama Ayariga, suggesting that two pilgrims under his care were unaccounted for during the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage.
In a press statement released on Tuesday, the Taskforce categorically stated that “every pilgrim who traveled under the official arrangements of the Ghana Hajj Taskforce for the 2025 pilgrimage has been fully accounted for and no case of a missing pilgrim has been reported.” The statement added that this information is verifiable and confirmed by relevant authorities.
According to preliminary investigations conducted jointly with Ghana’s Consulate in Jeddah, the two individuals in question — identified as Inusah Ramatu and Sali Hawa — did not travel through the official Ghana Hajj quota. Instead, they entered the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia using tourist visas, a practice that contravenes Saudi Arabia’s Hajj regulations.
The Taskforce confirmed that Hon. Ayariga has since reported the incident to Ghana’s Embassy in Saudi Arabia, where further assistance and verification are being provided.
“These individuals are part of a broader group of persons who attempted to perform Hajj using non-Hajj (tourist or so-called ‘Bongo’) visas. Many such individuals have been arrested or detained by Saudi authorities,” the statement emphasized.
The Ghana Hajj Taskforce used the occasion to caution all prospective pilgrims to adhere strictly to officially sanctioned channels. “Any other route is illegal, unsafe, and outside the jurisdiction or protection of the Ghana Hajj authorities,” the Taskforce warned.
The Taskforce reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the safety, dignity, and proper facilitation of all Ghanaian pilgrims who participate in the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca under the approved processes.
Reported by; Issifu Alidu Laa-Bandow/zaaghana.com
