Dissolve Hajj Board over “dead” pilgrim’s return – Ali Suraj to Mahama
A former taskforce member of the Ghana Hajj Board, Alhaji Ali Suraj, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to immediately dissolve the current Hajj Board and demand accountability over their operations during the just-ended pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
He cited what he described as gross negligence on the part of the Hajj Board in handling the case of Fatima Kassim, a resident of Madina UN in Accra, who returned to Ghana after being officially declared dead in Saudi Arabia.
Fatima Kassim, one of the Ghanaian pilgrims, was reportedly pronounced dead in Saudi Arabia, with Ghana’s consulate issuing a death certificate confirming the report. Her family, relying on this official documentation, held her funeral in line with Islamic traditions.
To the shock and disbelief of relatives and neighbours, Fatima returned home on July 2.
Reacting to the bizarre development, Alhaji Ali Suraj said the incident raises serious concerns and leaves the Hajj Board with more questions than answers.
He questioned how Fatima returned to Ghana without the knowledge of the consulate and the Hajj Board and how she managed to secure her travel documents, especially since the Hajj Board typically keeps pilgrims’ passports during the pilgrimage.
According to him, the process used to declare her death was flawed, and the Hajj Board failed to undertake the necessary verification before making such a sensitive announcement.
Alhaji Suraj called on President Mahama to intervene, urging that the board be held accountable. He asked critical questions such as:
“Who verified the body? Who had her passport? Who accompanied the body to the mortuary? Who took her to the hospital? Which family member confirmed her death? How did she return to Ghana without a passport? Did she fly, return by road, or vanish?”
Without satisfactory answers to these concerns, he said, the President should dissolve the current Hajj Board and demand a comprehensive report on their activities in Saudi Arabia.
“We are pleading with the President to revisit the Hajj Board. I believe this particular issue will unravel things we don’t know about what happened in Saudi Arabia during the Hajj process,” he said.
Emphasising his concern, Alhaji Suraj added, “I am a Zongo boy, a Muslim, and a Ghanaian, and I take issues of Hajj very seriously. If the President also takes Hajj matters seriously and values Muslims, he should revisit this issue and uncover the truth. He should also verify whether all Ghanaian pilgrims have returned safely.”
He also criticised the Hajj Board for allegedly neglecting Ghanaians who did not travel under its auspices, noting that under the previous New Patriotic Party administration, even unapproved travellers were supported.
Alhaji Suraj further rebuked some current board members for suggesting that Fatima Kassim’s case was one of mistaken identity.