Malnding,
I hope you had a response from either Pa Njie or one
one Yaya's cronies, about the mess that this year's
pilgrims found themselves in. Without doubt it's been
the most difficult Hajj in recent memory for Gambian
pilgrims.
It all started when Yaya wanted to gain some political
points by controlling the business of Hajj. He started
by imposing a fixed tariff of D24000 for the hajj
package. This evidently cannot cover the overheads of
responsible travel agents who want to provide safe,
secure, and comfortable hajj for their clients; hence
Banjul travel withdrew from this years Hajj, and
advised their clients to choose any other agent of
their own liking.
Left with little choice, most of the travel agents
signed with the millennium company to use Yaya's "suma
Abion" as air carrier. This is the "abion" that
ebrima's source/s wrote about some months ago. This
planes capacity is less than 200 passengers, and it is
supposed to airlift more than a 1000 passengers within
the time frame of the hajj.
Indifferent to the hardship that will be caused to
elderly pilgrims, the flights started to arrive in
Jeddah some three weeks before the actual Hajj
rituals, causing considerable financial difficulties
to those who have to stay in here for more than a
month. And because of the ceiling he placed on the
package, the travel agents had to cut their losses by
not providing food for the hajjis as had been the
practise. The poor pilgrims had to fend for themselves
in very difficult circumstances. Indeed towards the
end the hajj, many hadn't a riyal left even for food.
His own 200 or so people that were sent for hajj
didn't fare much better either. Infact they suffered
most than many of the others. They were involved in
petty bickering with the organisers about money that
Yaya said was to be given to them and which they did
not have. Many were left to beg from other pilgrims or
from anybody who appears to be sympathetic to their
plight.
With the hajj now over, there came the scramble to
return home as quickly as possible with the next
available flight. Apart from its capacity,the "suma
abion" flights were also irregular,and the amount of
cargo it can take is very strictly limited. Many
pilgrims have left without their valued suitcases,and
only god knows when ever these will get to Banjul.
Millennium company indicated to the pilgrims that they
will hire a cargo plane to freight the suitcases; but
up today it has not happened, and it is not likely to!
This years hajj has been a big financial disaster for
most of the agents, and an ordeal for Gambian
pilgrims.
With all the problems mentioned above, the plight of
pilgrims who signed up with Pa Njie's globe is even
more tragic. It is alleged that Pa njie paid Yaya's
millennium company a cheque that could not be honoured
by the banks. Furious at this audacity, it is again
alleged that Yaya gave instructions to the effect that
" even if they all have to die there, Pa must pay his
company before his pilgrims are airlifted out of
Jeddah". I can't verify the truth or otherwise of
either claim. The fact is that there are still many
Gambian pilgrims, including all of globe travel's,
that look like they may be stranded in Jeddah for a
while.
Now in the particular case of your mother and mother
in-law, I think it is right that you got worried.
Having checked out of their "hotel", it must mean that
they will be in an even more difficult position of
spending all these waiting days at the Hajj terminal
of Jeddah's airport. This is definitely very
inconvenient to say the least.
I wish your mum and all remaining Gambian pilgrims a
safe and speedy return home, but this years hajj had
been the most difficult and chaotic for Gambian
pilgrims. Whatever Yaya's intention was in meddling in
hajj affairs, this one has truly backfired, causing
considerable hardship to Gambians once again.
--- "Malanding S. Jaiteh" <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:


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