Information reaching DAILY GUIDE suggests that some of the free Hajj tickets meant for National Democratic Congress (NDC) faithful were sold by non-Muslims at the party headquarters for an amount below $2,900.

It is suspected that those who sold the tickets used their party connections to lay hands on the documents to make some money for themselves.

Of the 400 free Hajj tickets, 200 were allocated to the NDC headquarters, 15 to the Zongo Caucus, 2 to the Federation of Muslim Women Associations of Ghana (FOMWAG) and Council of Muslim Chiefs, 2.

Also enjoying the largesse are a number of lasses from the Western region.

Beneficiaries of the gratis Hajj tickets who are unable to garner the miscellaneous cost of the pilgrimage in the Holy Land have also been engaged in selling their offers for GH¢2000.

DAILY GUIDE has gathered that over 200 tickets were given gratis to party supporters, but without accompanying money for related expenses in Saudi Arabia, some of them have advised themselves and sold out their offers.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that this year, the number of Ghanaians performing the Hajj is below the 3000 quota which has always been exceeded.

Reasons adduced for the reduced could be pecuniary reasons or even the conditions placed on the annual religious ritual by the Saudi authorities.

The first flight is scheduled to depart Ghana tomorrow Tuesday 10th November 2009, with the return trip commencing 12th December 2009, DAILY GUIDE has gathered.

A number of anonymous clerics have expressed concern about the growing politicization of the Hajj, explaining that the annual religious exercise should be performed by only those who have the means.

One of them said, “The provision of free tickets for political expediency is certainly unislamic and should be shunned.”

He called for transparency in matters about the Hajj, demanding, for instance, the list of those benefiting from the largesse.
The 400 free tickets run to over $1million, given that one ticket costs $2,900.

Source: DAILY GUIDE

Tags: Hajj, ndc, tickets