Former Auditor General, Daniel Yao Domelevo, has expressed shock and disappointment over President Mahama’s prioritization of the Hajj Village project, calling it “fruitless and wasteful”.
Daniel Yaw Domelevo’s criticism comes after President Mahama cut the sod for the construction of the Hajj Village on February 28, sparking concerns about the project’s funding and relevance.
At the heart of the controversy is the funding of the project.
Minister of State for Government Communication, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, claimed that “not a pesewa of taxpayers’ money” is involved in the project, stating that the Hajj Village is owned and being built by the Ghana Airport Company.
However, Yaw Domelevo countered that the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) is a state-owned enterprise, making it effectively government-controlled.
“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,” Domelevo said in a Facebook post.
Daniel Yaw Domelevo also drew comparisons with Ethiopia, highlighting that the country has a larger Muslim population and has invested in more significant infrastructure projects, such as a 5-star hotel and airport terminal expansions.
The Hajj Village project aims to provide a dedicated terminal for Ghanaian pilgrims traveling to Mecca, streamlining the check-in and processing procedures.
However, Yaw Domelevo’s criticism has sparked a debate about the project’s relevance and funding, with many Ghanaians questioning the government’s priorities.
Former Auditor General, Daniel Yaw Demolevo writes:
Read On:
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.
Ethiopia has a Muslim population equal to or bigger than the entire population of Ghana. Again Ethiopia is several times (about 5 times) the size of Ghana. Instead of a Hajj village, they built a 5star Skylight hotel with over 1000 rooms for passengers and they are continuously expanding terminal 2. In fact the celebrated terminal 3 at the Kotoka International Airport does not compare favorably with the terminal 2 of Bole international airport in Addis Ababa. We should stop celebrating mediocrity.🙏🏿
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-BY Daniel Bampoe
