Barely two weeks after returning as President, John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are facing an uphill task in fulfilling a major election promise made to the Zongo community.
During the election campaign, President Mahama and the NDC made fees for the annual Hajj pilgrimage a key issue, pledging to drastically reduce what they referred to as the exorbitant GH₵75,000 fees charged by the Hajj Board under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
At the recent Muslim thanksgiving service following his election, President Mahama reiterated the promise to significantly reduce the fare, announcing the establishment of an interim Hajj Task Force headed by MP Collins Dauda.
The interim Hajj Task Force participated in the 2025 Hajj Conference in Saudi Arabia, where they engaged with Saudi authorities and Hajj service providers. However, after these engagements, the Collins Dauda-led task force has realized that the total cost per pilgrim will likely be close to the existing Hajj fare.
A source from the Hajj Task Force, speaking on the condition of anonymity, explained:
“We had the opportunity to engage with Saudi authorities and service providers during our visit, and I can tell you that, based on the figures quoted, each pilgrim realistically will have to pay close to the existing fare or even more.”
The source continued:
“The only way for the government and the President to fulfill his promise of reducing the Hajj fare is for the government to heavily subsidize each pilgrim by at least $2,000. Given the numbers involved, this represents a large financial commitment and a significant challenge. Otherwise, the pilgrims will have to pay the realistic fee for us to proceed with the process.”
Discussions between the task force and the new government are ongoing, with a decision expected before the 2025 Hajj fare is announced.
Faced with the need for a substantial government subsidy to meet its election pledge, the task force has also considered an alternative: reducing the number of Ghanaian pilgrims from the allocated 6,000 to 4,000 or fewer, to reduce the financial burden.
The new Hajj Task Force has already signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Saudi Arabia to confirm the participation of Ghanaian pilgrims in this year’s Hajj.
Hajj is an annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which every Muslim who can afford it is encouraged to undertake at least once in their lifetime.
Following the recent global economic crisis, Hajj fees worldwide have increased, with prices doubling in some countries since the Covid-19 pandemic.
The then-opposition NDC made significant use of this issue during the campaign, with President Mahama and the NDC promising a “drastic reduction” if they came to power.
