Group demands for audited Hajj report
The Progressive Muslim Forum, a pressure group is calling on
the Hajj management committee to make public its audited report for the 2017
and 2018 activity years.
This call comes at a time the Auditor General has served
notice it is investigating a case of alleged “unwarranted increase” in the Hajj
fees this year following a petition by the Patriotic Muslim Front (PMF), a
coalition of young Muslim intellectuals, businessmen and students over what
they described as ‘outrageous’ hajj fees of GHC19,000 for this year as against
GHC15,000 last year.
The Auditor-General on Monday acknowledged receipt of the
petition, promising a committee is being constituted to look into the case.
“We are interested in the Auditor General looking into the
books of the Board since a lot of would-be pilgrims and Muslims have contacted
us to express their displeasure over the fees”, the president for the Patriotic
Muslim Fronts (PMF), Haruna Mohammed has said.
Meanwhile, the Progressive Muslim Forum has also described the
absence of audited report from the hajj management as ‘disrespectful to the
Muslim community’
“We find it disrespectful to the Muslim community that the
NPP government supervising over the hajj management is making no effort to
render detailed account on the 2017 and 2018 Hajj to the Ghanaian Muslims. It
is almost a year since our brothers and sisters returned from the 2018 Hajj;
and until now, there is not a single report to the public on how the funds paid
into the Hajj accounts were disbursed.”
In a press release signed by Imran Hashir Dikeni added that,
“Government and Hajj board members have consistently reported on the airwaves
on how the Nana Addo government subsidized Hajj in this country, yet not a
single report to authenticate this allegation.”
“The Progressive Muslims Forum is reliably informed that the
government of Ghana rather makes profit from the monies the Muslim Committee
pay towards their pilgrimage. We cannot continue to throw dust in the eyes of
the public for personal parochial political interest. Politician in successive government
have rather included party apparatchiks among the pilgrims for free. This is
the reason why there is a whole lot of problem with successive Hajj in this
country.
“We therefore demand the government of Ghana through Hajj
board to publish an audited account on Hajj 2017 and 2018 for the Muslim
community and the public in general.
“The President and His Vice should not sit and watch the
Hajj board and some few members of the political class plunge this huge
profit-making venture into a corruption hub.
“Hajj in every country brings remittances to the nation. Why
is Ghana’s case different? The Vice president must ensure there is transparency
in the work of Hajj board by way of rendering annual audited reports and
regular interaction with the people on Hajj matters.”
Consequently, a member of the Islamic sunni clergy,
Abuuhidaayah Abdul-Fattah Twahir Akinyele has supported the call for the hajj
management committee to publish its audited report annually and timely to
enhance accountability and transparency.
“It is good to embark on such an exercise; we cannot be left
behind and stay aloof as Muslims in the context of all the advocacies for best
practices and good governance systems that are moving nations forward; this is
even what Islam teaches us. We only make a mockery of ourselves if we do, after
all the good people that we project ourselves to be - we have Sheikhs, Imams,
academics, professionals, entrepreneurs, graduates to PhD levels, university
students - mention any field of endeavour, and there will be unanimity that we
are not lacking in any area.
“What we can confidently hold on to the call for best
practices is the lack of Transparency and Accountability in the management of
the Hajj, and this alone is enough for anybody or entity to call for Reports
and an audit of the books of the Board, as we reading from this petition. This
call has been one of our main concerns as far as the Hajj management is
concerned since 2005. Lack of Transparency and Accountability breed suspicion
and only leave people with no option than to speculate and concoct some
"Jinnie" influenced figures, which is not a good thing. Be that as it
is, the issue of windfalls or profits from the management of the Hajj
undoubtedly is a known fact that has come from past managers of the Hajj, since
the days of Alhaji Salia; the report of the 2005 Hajj, at least, gives some
indication in that direction. And revenue, I believe, must be derived from the
management of the Hajj, if we are really a serious people who wants
development, and the beneficiaries must be the good people of the Muslim Ummah,
NOT individuals. If any individual wants to make any profits or make money
legitimately from Hajj, that individual must go into private business, go into
the goods and services area, just as the Hajj Agents are doing; now we even
have a new entrant into the business in the name of MUDI HajjUmra Services Ltd,
not so!!! This must be clear to people, and this is the way to go”, he noted.
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