Majority Leader and MP for Bawku Central Mahama Ayariga has disclosed two individuals from his constituency who embarked on this year’s pilgrimage to Mecca are still unaccounted for weeks after the exercise.
Mahama Ayariga disclosed this on the floor of Parliament when MP for Weija-Gbawe Jerry Ahmed Shaib summoned the minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Ahmed Ibrahim to brief the house on deaths recorded during the pilgrimage.
The minister however came without answers informing the house the exercise was handled by a taskforce set up by the President. The Banda MP disclosed the Hajj taskforce is yet to present its report after the exercise.
This explanation however did not go down well with some minority MPs including Tolon MP and deputy Chief Whip Habib Iddrisu, Bimbilla MP and former Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul and minority leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin who questioned the minister’s position. Nitiwul charged the minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs to “take back hajj organization” if he has been taken from him.
The majority leader though conceded there is the need for answers to be provided over this year’s Hajj organization directed the house to the chairman of the taskforce Collins Dauda and Minister for Foreign Affairs. First deputy speaker Bernard Ahiafor also asked that the question be directed to the appropriate quarters.
Consequently the 2nd deputy speaker Andrew Asiamah who was presiding directed that the question be directed to the chairman of the taskforce.
This year’s hajj has had its fair share of controversies including a dramatic mistaken identity that led to a woman being declared only fir her ti surface after her family had performed her funeral rites at Madina in Accra.
