Hajj Pilgrims quota to be increased to 10,000 - Mahama

President Mahama has assured this year’s pilgrims of a stress-free Hajj.

Speaking during his visit to the Hajj Village, the president said all measures are being put in place to bring pilgrims from the three Northern Regions by flight to avoid any transportation problems.

The president also assured that plans are underway to increase the quota to ten thousand.

President Mahama said: “This year, we have a quota of six thousand. Five thousand seven hundred people are performing the Hajj this year. This is unprecedented in the history of Ghana.”

He said this upsurge in the number of pilgrims means that “we are progressing in the Muslim community; more people are able to afford to go to Hajj.”

President Mahama said he will be giving the Saudi authorities notice of Ghana’s desire to increase the number of pilgrims to ten thousand because the six thousand quota has already been exhausted.

“I’m sure that the way [God] is going to bless Ghana under the next NDC government, by 2016 ten thousand people will be going to Mecca,” the president intimated.

The president also assured that a permanent structure will be erected at the Hajj Village to take care of the pilgrims who are hosted there.

Meanwhile, another batch of two were flown to Mecca to begin the Holy Pilgrimage.