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The administration of President John Dramani Mahama has come under heavy fire from former Auditor-General Daniel Yao Domelevo, who claims that the government’s choice to put the building of a Hajj Village ahead of other projects is a waste of money.
Domelevo voiced his worry that the project is needless, especially because the nation is still dealing with the financial consequences of the $58 million spent on the National Cathedral and has made little noticeable forward.
He called the project “fruitless and wasteful,” raising concerns about the rationale behind funding a place of worship when Ghana’s economy is still in shaky shape.
Domelevo rejected the assertion as deceptive in response to remarks made by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, who promised the public that the Hajj Village project will not incur any costs.
He emphasized that the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) is a state-owned company, which means that the government eventually owns its revenue.
He went on to say that since the government might own a sizable portion of the business, it would be hard to imagine that public funds would not be used to build the project.
“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 stated.
He questioned why Ghana is spending in projects that do not immediately contribute to economic growth and criticized the administration for focusing on such initiatives rather than tackling urgent economic issues.
Domelevo contrasted Ghana’s and Ethiopia’s agendas, emphasizing that Ethiopia has chosen to invest in infrastructure that serves a wider economic purpose even if it has a sizable Muslim population.
In order to facilitate passenger movement, he noted that Ethiopia has expanded its airport facilities and built a five-star hotel called Skylight, which has more than 1,000 rooms.
He bemoaned, however, that Ghana is commemorating the building of a Hajj Village, which is out of step with the country’s more pressing developmental need.
“We should stop celebrating mediocrity,” he added.
His remarks have sparked new debates on the project’s funding source, with many people wondering if taxes are actually not being used.
There is still skepticism despite government guarantees that public monies won’t be used, especially considering the GACL’s state-owned position.
If finished, the planned Hajj Village is anticipated to function as a special terminal for pilgrims from Ghana who are going to Mecca.
Nonetheless, detractors like Domelevo contend that the country need to give priority to initiatives that have a more immediate and long-term effect on economic growth.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
