The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, has tasked the Hajj Agents Association to channel all pilgrimage -related matters through the for effective resolution.
According to him, with the Ministry’s mandate as the primary government interface on religious affairs, the Ministry has a central role at the outset and clarified the proper channels of communication. The Minister made this call at a meeting with the association, on Friday, 28th November 2025 at the Ministry conference room in Accra to address key concerns raised by the agents regarding the Hajj pilgrimage.
Hon. Ibrahim outlined a path forward, urging a system of peer review among agents to ensure high standards. He also called on the association to desist from the sale of protocol tickets to address the concerns of paying pilgrims. He expressed confidence in the leadership of the Hajj Board, stating that they will deliver good results.
Touching on the report, the Minister noted that another meeting should be conveyed to have to review the reports with the key concerns raised for inward submission to President John Mahama. He further suggested establishing a regular dialogue forum, proposing that the Hajj Agents Association and the Hajj Board can have meetings monthly at the Ministry.
For his part, the Chairman of the Hajj Board, Alhaji Tanko commended government for its initial intervention in reducing the Hajj fee from GH₵75,000 to GH₵60,000. They then presented a list of pressing issues requiring further attention, which included a call for an additional reduction in the overall cost of the Hajj pilgrimage, the need for pre-financing the Hajj pilgrimage, the separation of paying pilgrims from those on government protocol, and the timely payment of Hajj commissions to the agents.
The Hajj Agents Association formally handed over a detailed report of their concerns to the Minister, with the hope of government fully addressing all their concerns to ensure an efficient pilgrimage in 2026.
This engagement is instrumental in shaping the government's response to the operational challenges within the Hajj pilgrimage system and sets the stage for deeper collaboration between the agents, the board, and the Ministry.
Source: Nora Mumuni
Public Relations Unit, MLGCRA