The Chairman of the Ghana Hajj Board, Ben Abdallah Banda, has called on all prospective Hajj pilgrims to pay their monies to accredited Hajj agents or direct them to the Ghana Hajj Board.

The Hajj chair, who doubles as the Coordinator for Zongo and Inner City Department at the Office of the President, made the call when he represented the Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia during the 80th-anniversary celebration of the Chamba Chieftaincy in Ghana at a colourful ceremony in Accra.

He urged prospective pilgrims not to pay money to anyone who is not accredited by the Ghana Hajj Board.

According to him, the only institution that can issue visas for Hajj is the Hajj Board and not any individual, adding that there are different types of visas to enter Saudi Arabia, which includes visiting, Umura and Hajj Visas, and the Saudi authorities will not permit anyone entry without the Hajj Visa, which the Hajj Board is the only mandated institution to issue.

He said the Saudi authorities have put in place measures to deal drastically with anyone who may attempt to perform Hajj with any other visa apart from the Hajj Visa.

He added that the Ghana Hajj Board has maintained this year’s hajj fare at GH¢75,000, an equivalent of $6,250, which is the same as that of the previous year.