A pressure group, Movement for Zongo Youth Against Corruption has petitioned Vice President, Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia to open investigations into activities of the previous Hajj Board under president John Dramani Mahama.
The group is accusing immediate past Chairman of the Board, Ibrahim Abdul Rauf Tanko of supervising over financial irregularities while in office.
The Hajj Board under the former National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration has left behind a debt of Ghc23 million accrued from organising last year’s pilgrimage to Mecca.
Sources in government said Flynas, formerly Nas Air, a domestic and international low-cost airline based in Saudi Arabia, is owed the highest amount out of the larger sum.
Officials of the new government say if the debt is not cleared, this year’s pilgrimage would be hampered, because the airline, which is the country’s first and only budget airline, will not airlift pilgrims.
The airline, which has its head office located at Al Salam Centre in Riyadh, denied Ghana’s neighbour Togo a similar privilege last year, due to that country’s failure to settle its debt to them.
But President of the group, Alhassan Ibrahim disclosed, the defunct Board left a debt of Ghc23 million which he believes must be investigated.
The petition, a copy of which has been submitted to the office of National Chief Imam, Dr Osman Nuhu Shaributu and the Muslim Caucus In parliament is demanding forensic audit into accounts of the former Board and its 2016 Hajj activities.
Movement for Zongo Youth Against Corruption says it will ensuring corrupt officials are brought to book to deter others from engaging in acts financial malfeasance.
Source: GhanaWeb
