Interim Hajj Committee to organise this year's Hajj

Accra, Nov. 3, GNA - Alhaji Asoma Banda, a Muslim elder and an Accra businessman, on Monday told the Fast Track High Court that the tussle between the National Hajj Council (NHC) and four members of the Interim Hajj Management Committee (IHMC) has been settled. According to the settlement, the Interim National Hajj Management Committee will organise this year's Muslim pilgrimage to the Holy land. Alhaji Banda said: "I have managed to get the matter settled. Last night I managed to get all the parties to the Chief Imam's house and we agreed that the matter should be withdrawn from court." He further told the court, presided over by Mr Justice K. A. Ofori-Atta that he was happy to get the two parties to listen to him. NHC had gone to court to restrain IHMC from handling this year's Hajj and seek the court's view on who had the right to handle this year's Hajj operations.

Mr Bright Akwetey, who represented NHC, informed the court that his client would not organize this year's hajj. He said although an interlocutory injunction which represented an aspect of the case had been settled, he pointed out that the NHC would like the court to proceed and determine who had the mandate to organize hajj in the country.

The court after seeking an explanation from Mr Akwetey why he wanted to proceed with the case after Alhaji Banda had informed the court about the settlement adjourned to the December 1. This is to enable the parties to furnish the court with the terms of settlement. The IHMC members are Alhaji Lumuna Mohamed Muniru (Chairman), Dr. Alhaji Abdul-Wahab Alhassan, Sheikh Yunus Osman Mohammed and Alhaji Osman Kadri English.

At the last sitting, Alhaji Banda intervened and informed that court that Ghana stood the chance of being banned for five years if she did not send pilgrims to Mecca hence the need to settle the matter so that Ghanaian pilgrims could take part in the Hajj. Alhaji Banda said he had not been consulted by any of the parties to withdraw the matter and settle it out of court but he could not sit unconcerned as an elder of the Muslim community. According to him the matter before the court was a delicate one and that he wanted to ensure that it was settled amicably. Both parties went to court to establish who should organise the 2008 Hajj.

Alhaji Ishaq Alhassan represented the IHMC. The NHC established by law since 2005 has been mandated by the Muslim Community to operate, manage and control the annual pilgrimage of Ghanaian Muslim to Mecca (Hajj). This was because the Hajj was bedevilled with problems such as loss of baggage, pilgrims not getting to Mecca on time, overcrowding, lack of decent accommodation and suffering of fatalities by pilgrims. Plaintiff asserts that the Office of the Vice President had not only interfered with the 2006 Hajj operation but went ahead to convince the office of the Chief Imam to break ranks with the NHC and a new body called the IHMC was formed.

In a statement of claim, the NHC, among others, is seeking a declaration that it was the sole and legitimate body charged with the responsibility by the Muslim community to organise Hajj in Ghana. It is also seeking an order for perpetual injunction to restrain the Office of the Vice President and the defendants from interfering in the operation of Hajj in the country. NHC is further seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining the office of the National Chief Imam and defendants from interfering in the activities of the NHC and another order requesting the offices of the Vice President and the National Chief Imam and defendants to hand over all arrangements for this year's Hajj to NHC. It wants an order that the defendant should not make any public pronouncement or statements in private for the mobilisation of funds for the 2008 Hajj.

The NHC said the issue of an interim body (IHMC) operating the Hajj while a substantive body (the council) was in existence was a burning question to be decided. According to the NHC, the issue was whether the National Chief Imam and the Office of the Vice President had the authority to take over Hajj when the government, through the Chief of Staff had relinquished control over Hajj operations to the Muslim Community as represented by the NHC. The NHC contended that the 2008 Hajj was at risk, as the 728 paid pilgrims who could not undertake the 2007 Hajj when it was organised by IHMC had not had their fares refunded to them. It noted that despite efforts made by the Chief of State to resolve the impasse on September 16 and 18 this year, IHMC, with the full backing of the Office of the Vice President, had refused to accept settlement.