The Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, has disclosed that two pilgrims from his constituency who participated in the 2025 Hajj are currently unaccounted for.
Addressing the issue on the floor of Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, who also serves as the Majority Leader, attributed the situation to language barriers, as some of the pilgrims are unable to speak Arabic, as well as the advanced age of those involved.
He assured the House that efforts are underway to locate the missing individuals and bring them safely back home.
“I cannot account for two of my pilgrims. I have been calling our Consular Officer there to help us find where they are because some of them are very old people. You go to an event where there are over one million people attending, they are not educated, and they don’t speak any other language.
“It is becoming very challenging, and this is the first time many of them are venturing outside Ghana, so sometimes when they get there, they get mixed up with other countries.
“So, when, after the Hajj, we cannot account for our people, the Foreign Affairs Minister is the person we should be working with. I have said that perhaps it is time for this house and the country to have legislation on Hajj instead of it just being a committee,” he said.
Meanwhile, former Minister for Defence and MP for Bimbilla, Dominic Nitiwul, has called on the Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs to brief the House on the overall management of the 2025 Hajj.
In response, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, stated that a full briefing would be provided after the Hajj Committee submits its report.
“In briefing Parliament, you must be on point. You are asking this question to help this country prevent further recurrence. A report will be submitted. Let’s exercise restraint. When a report is submitted by Collins Dauda’s committee, then we can come and brief you appropriately,” he stated.
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