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Ghanaian pilgrims just as their colleagues from other countries across the world who have completed all rites associated with the holy journey to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Medina, Mecca, Arafat and Mina and thus, entitled to bear the title Alhaji or Hajia have begun arriving home.

The pilgrims achieved this feat three days after the deadliest disaster at Mina that claimed over a 1000 lives and injured over 900 pilgrims.

In line with the Abdul Rauf Tanko-led Pilgrims Affairs of Ghana’s plans, the first returned flight to Ghana, which was schedule to take off last Thursday, October 8 was postponed to last Saturday, October 10, and that was not also to be until yesterday Monday, 12 October 2015 when the flight touched down at about 3pm Ghana time.

The charted NAS airline, The aL-hAJJ gathered, was unable to secure clearance from the Saudi Hajj Authorities to begin the airlifting of Ghanaian pilgrims as was originally arranged, therefore the first returned flight to Ghana touched down at the Kotoka International Airport yesterday at 3pm and thereof, there would be a flight each day until all 12 flights are completed by 23rd October, according to reliable sources close to NAS air and Ghana’s Pilgrims Affairs.

Though the sources were unable to confirm the exact reason for the unanticipated delay of the Ghanaian pilgrims, The aL-hAJJ’s investigations have revealed that internal “misunderstanding” between the Saudi owned airline and the Saudi Ministry of Hajj Affairs accounted for the unfortunate incident.

This paper’s investigations uncovered a long standing ‘dispute’ between the Saudi second national carrier and the ministry in charge of Hajj and Religious Affairs over fees and commission payments.

When contacted, Chairman of Pilgrims Affairs of Ghana, Alhaji Abdul Rauf Tanko, could not confirm this paper’s findings, save to say "everything is under control by the Grace of Allah, what has happened is unusual but we believe Allah is in control".

For the past three years, Hajj operations under the guidance of Alhaji Rauf Tanko has seen remarkable improvements compared to previous hajj operations, a development that earned him and his committee commendation from not only President John Dramani Mahama and his vice Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur, but also the head of Muslims in Ghana, Sheikh Dr. Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu.

This year’s hajj witnessed one of the deadliest incidents in 25 years, where more than 1000 pilgrims lost their lives and over 900 injured during the last rituals of the Hajj at Mina.

The stampede occurred during a ritual called “stoning the devil”, with some pilgrims saving their entire lives in order to participate. The event was held in a tent city about two miles from the holy site in Islam’s holiest city, Mecca. More than 2 million pilgrims attend the Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

Information from the Pilgrims Affairs of Ghana so far indicates that seven Ghanaians lost their lives in the deadly stampede at the five-storey Jamarat Bridge in Mina, eight others died through natural cause while six pilgrims are reported on admission, with 29 Ghanaian pilgrims declared missing.

A source at the Pilgrims Affairs of Ghana told this paper that efforts are being made to trace their whereabouts.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Pilgrims Affairs of Ghana has asked Ghanaians to be calm since what happened at this year’s hajj was beyond their control. A total of 5424 Ghanaian pilgrims travelled to the holy Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for this year’s hajj.