President John Dramani Mahama has clarified the controversy surrounding the proposed Hajj Village by the Ghana Airport Limited.
According to John Mahama, the Hajj village will not be exclusively for pilgrims travelling to Mecca.
John Mahama addressed concerns raised by some Ghanaians detailing that the facility will serve as a needed amenity for all travellers and also Hajj pilgrims who for many years faced harsh accommodation conditions before they embarked on the holy journey.
John Mahama stated, “The facility aligns with our broader goal of ensuring fairness in national policies and making sure that all citizens, regardless of their financial status, can fulfil their spiritual obligations.
For years, Ghanaian pilgrims have faced harsh accommodation conditions and physical difficulties before they embark on the holy journey”.
He further added, “Under the Reset Agenda, the Ghana Airport Company is constructing a transit terminal that will be used as a Hajj Village during the Hajj period and as a comfortable transit center for departures.
The transit facility will be available after the Hajj period for other passengers in transit through Kotoka International Airport,” he clarified.
The Minister of State for Government Communications Felix Kwakye Ofosu has revealed that the Hajj Village project by the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) is purely a commercial project.
According to Kwakye Ofosu, the Ghana Airports Company Limited realized that Hajj is an annual ritual where thousands of people pass through their airport, so they decided to build it to charge some fees.
Kwakye Ofosu asserted that the Hajj Village project is steered by business considerations rather than government support.
Speaking in an interview on CITI News Felix Kwakye Ofosu once again dismissed claims public funds were being used to support the facility.
He stated, “The Hajj Village is purely a commercial project. The Ghana Airports Company Limited saw that they have a certain clientele, so they are tailoring services to meet that clientele with the ultimate objective of making a profit and generating dividends for their shareholder, which is the government.”
Felix Kwakye further detailed how the GACL invested $276 million to build Terminal 3.
Meanwhile, Daniel Yao Domelevo, a former Auditor-General has fired shots at the Mahama-led government for prioritizing the construction of a Hajj Village.
According to Daniel Domelevo the Hajj Village project is ‘fruitless and wasteful’.
Daniel Domelevo noted that the Hajj project was unnecessary at the time Ghanaians were still dealing with the financial fallout from Akufo-Addo’s $58 million spent on the National Cathedral.
Daniel Domelevo further fired shots at Felix Kwakye Ofosu, who assured that the Hajj Village project would not come at any cost to the taxpayer.
He indicated that the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) is a state-owned enterprise, meaning its revenue ultimately belongs to the government.
