Gomoa Central Lawmaker Kwame Asare Obeng (A-Plus) has rejected claims by Minister of State for Government Communication, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, that taxpayer money will not be used to finance the construction of the Hajj Village.
He also disagrees with the decision to even construct the project at this time.
Ina Facebook post, he said “I strongly disagree with the controversial Hajj Village project, especially at a time when according to the new government, Ghana has more urgent priorities. While I respect the significance of religious obligations, national resources must be directed toward projects that serve all Ghanaians. We have critical projects like the Agenda 111 hospitals. Some are near completion and will provide essential healthcare services to millions. Shouldn’t we focus on completing these hospitals before investing in a facility that benefits only a fraction of the population?
“The spokesperson for the President claims that the Hajj Village is a new airport terminal being built by the Ghana Airports Company Ltd (GACL) and that no taxpayer money is involved. Please, the Ghana Airport Company does not belong to Asagyam Herbal Clinic. It is a state enterprise, meaning any funds it uses are still state funds. If there is a need for a new terminal, which may be more expensive than the cost of the Hajj Village/Hajj Terminal, go ahead and build one with modern facilities that improve air travel for everyone.
“We have seen this playbook before. This is exactly how Akufo-Addo and Ken Ofori-Atta justified their National Cathedral project—promising it wouldn’t cost the taxpayer a cent. Yet, they ended up spending over $400 million on a project that remains unfinished, with nothing to show but a dirty swimming pool. This is how it begins—they fail to take wise counsel and instead send their foot soldiers to insult us and make wild allegation against us for speaking the truth. We have seen these things, we have fought these things, we have won against them and will always win no matter how far under we go. It is a fact, scientifically proven!”
Also expressing his views on this matter, Former Auditor General, Daniel Yao Domelevo, expressed surprise that one of the key priorities of the Mahama administration is the construction of the Hajj Village project at a time the country is grappling with recovering over $58 million squandered on the national cathedral project.
Mr Demevelo says it is truly astonishing that President Mahama is prioritising this project.
He also rejected claims by the Minister of State for Government Communication, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, that taxpayer money will not be used to finance the construction of the Hajj Village.
President John Dramani Mahama had been criticised by some Ghanaians for prioritising the Hajj Village project after the sod-cutting ceremony on Friday, February 28. President Mahama announced plans to airlift 5,000 pilgrims to Mecca this year.
He urged all intending pilgrims to meet the March 13 payment deadline, adding that a pre-finance arrangement with a local bank has ensured full payment for accommodation, transport, and other facilities.
The Hajj Village project is seen as a major step towards improving Ghana’s pilgrimage logistics, reinforcing the government’s commitment to better travel experiences for Ghanaian Muslims embarking on the sacred journey.
Following the concerns raised, Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu in a post on his X page said “FACT: The Hajj Village is primarily an airport terminal building for check-in and pilgrim facilitation owned and being built by the Ghana Airport Company. Not a pesewa of taxpayers’ money involved.”
But responding to him in a post on his Facebook page, Mr Domelevo said “Like seriously? ‘Hajj Village Project Does Not Involve a Single Pesewa of Taxpayer Money’ . Honorable Felix Kwakye Ofosu, please tell it to the marines. The Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) is a state-owned enterprise, which means it has no shareholders or the Government owns majority of the shares. The GACL is owned and controlled by the government of Ghana. It is truly astonishing—especially as we grapple with recovering over $58 million squandered on the national cathedral project— that one of the key priorities of the Mahama administration is the fruitless and wasteful Hajj village project.
The Hajj Village, which is being developed by the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL), is designed to serve as a dedicated terminal to streamline the check-in and processing of Ghanaian pilgrims traveling to Mecca. The project aims to enhance the overall pilgrimage experience while ensuring efficiency at the airport.
