HAJJ: 2000 new biometric passports for prospective pilgrims

As Muslims prepare to embark on this year’s Hajj, the National Hajj Committee has indicated it will with the help of the passport office procure about two thousand new bio metric passports for prospective pilgrims.

The move by the National Hajj Committee is expected to enhance the smooth documentation of the pilgrims by the Saudi and Ghanaian governments.
According to the Chairman of the National Hajj Committee, Alhaji Alhassan Bene, who made the disclosure, the organization of this year’s Hajj has not been troubled with serious problems other than the delay in the issue of the bio metric passports which he said is being addressed.

Alhaji Bene indicated, “in totality we (the National Hajj Committee) should be issuing above two thousand passports to prospective Hajj pilgrims, because we assumed that if we are taking three thousand pilgrims to Mecca, at least one thousand of the pilgrims will have their own passports, other government appointees such as MP’s and ministers will also have their own passports and many other people such as government delegations, so I think about two thousand new passports will have to be produced for some of the pilgrims”.
Recently, the Saudi government banned the use of the travel document popularly called pass used by pilgrims as it was being misapplied because some individuals changed photos of the original holders of the said document to commit all sorts of illegal offenses.
Thus the Saudi government issued an order directing all prospective Hajj pilgrims to use a recognized official document, in this case passports from their respective countries which is recognized universally.
According to Alhaji Bene, the National Hajj council was thus forced to embark on the program to sensitize Muslims about the new directive and to make sure that all prospective Hajj pilgrims from Ghana hold a genuine passport for this year’s trip.
“There’s no problem as we speak now. The Chief Director of the passport office has promised to collaborate with the council and he’s doing so well, the government and the officials at the passports office are also cooperating to make the trip a success and we are hopeful the exercise will succeed, Alhaji Bene assured the Muslim community.
Alhaji Alhassan Bene was speaking in an exclusive interview with Emefa Apawu host of the morning show, the Big Bite on Xfm 95.1; an Accra based private commercial radio station.
He opined, “the production of passports for some pilgrims has been our major problem now, as I speak to you I am in Tamale to start the process of issuing out bio metric passports and if it goes well as planned, then there should be no problem for this year’s hajj”.

Asked when pilgrims are expected to leave Ghana for Mecca, Alhaji Bene emphasized that all the pilgrims are expected to converge in Accra for Saudi Arabia, adding that the first batch of pilgrims are expected to leave Accra for Mecca on the 15 of October 2010 stating the last flight to Mecca is expected to leave on the 31 October 2010.
The Chairman of the National Hajj Committee, Alhaji Alhassan Bene, reiterated government’s commitment to organizing a successful hajj this year.
Another issue of concern is the hajj village which Alhaji Bene indicated is being handled by the government. He noted, “the hajj village, from a very reliable source will be there as was done last year, the building of the village is expected to commence from today (October 4 2010) because the hajj village contributes to about 50 percent to the organization of the entire hajj.

Robert Israel/Abena Asiedua Tenkorang, Xfm 95.1, Accra Ghana