President John Dramani Mahama has cautioned against the commercialisation of the Hajj pilgrimage.
According to him, it is a religious and spiritual journey, hence should not be treated as a profit-making venture.
The President was speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony for the new Hajj Village on Friday, February 28.
“I have instructed the task force that the Hajj is not a business and should not be structured for profit. The Hajj Board and Task Force must not aim to make a profit. If even one cedi remains after the Hajj, it should be donated to the poor or used for a project within the Hajj community,” he stated.
With the Hajj taskforce set up to ensure a smooth pilgrimage, Mr. Mahama noted that any excess funds should be channelled into projects benefiting Zongo communities.
“This year, we set up a task force to manage the Hajj because, after assuming office, we realized that the time before the pilgrimage was too short. So, we brought competent people together, led by Alhaji Collins Dauda, to organize this year’s Hajj. After this, we will constitute the Hajj Board and appoint its chairman,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Hajj taskforce has set March 13 as the deadline for the payment of the pilgrimage package which has been reduced from GHS 75,000 to GHS 62,000 to make it more accessible.
ALSO READ: