Ghana’s Pilgrim Affairs Office has brushed off claims of poor accommodation for Ghanaian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, saying all arrangements are in place and the Hajj is running smoothly.

This comes after videos on social media showed some pilgrims raising concerns about their lodgings in Makkah.

“It is going on smoothly. We don’t have any major problem as of now,” leader of Ghana’s advance team in Saudi Arabia, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Tanko, said.

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Ibn Tanko explained that accommodation for all Ghanaian pilgrims was paid for and secured before departure, covering Madinah, Makkah, Mina, and Arafat.

“Before we came to Saudi Arabia, before we left Ghana, we paid for everybody’s accommodation in Saudi Arabia, both in Madinah at the entry point and then in Makkah and then to Mina and Arafat, everybody,” he said.

He added that pilgrims in Madinah and Makkah are housed in hotels, while Mina arrangements follow standard Hajj practice, with tents and mattresses provided for everyone.

“In Madinah, you have a hotel; in Makkah, you have a hotel, but in Mina it’s tents. Everybody’s entitled to a mattress, and we’ve done that,” he explained.

Ibn Tanko assured that all pilgrims have been catered for and are being transported to Mina for the ongoing rites.

“We will transport all our people to Mina as I speak. So there’s no problem,” he added.

NAD/BAI

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