I.C. Quaye In Fresh Trouble …As Muslim Group Heads to Court

The woes of the Board Chairman of the Pilgrims Affairs of Ghana, Sheikh Ibrahim Cudjoe Quaye, is far from over, as a coalition of Muslim youth prepares to drag him to court, for changing signatories to Ghana’s Hajj bank Accounts held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, without approval by the appointing authorities.

The group, Patriotic Muslim Front (PMF),charged, the decision by the Sheikh I.C Quaye-led Board to smuggle one of his cronies into the Hajj Board and made him signatory to the Board’s bank accounts, amounts to an illegality.

MrI.C Quaye is said to have assign one Mr Hamza Tanko as a signatory to the bank account and further described him as a Board Member/Director of Finance.

But leader of the group, Haruna Mohammed told The Anchor that the former Greater Accra regional Minister and onetime Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayawaso Central has been allegedly committing many illegalities since his appointment and therefore, would not be left off the hook this time.

He said, even though the presidency has forced MrI.C Quaye to remove the name of Mr. Hamza Tanko as a signatory to the account, and in any other official duties of the Hajj Board, that alone is not enough ground for PMF to backdown on its legal position of the matter.

According to Mr. Haruna, their lawyers have commenced legal actions on the incident against Mr. I.C Quaye and sooner than later, the group will be in court.

He accused him of running a one-man show at the Board and wielding so much power to intimidate people who somehow, disagree with him by sacking them.

It would be recalled that the presidency, following the infamous unilateral appointment by MrI.C Quaye, registered its displeasure about the change of signatory to Ghana’s Hajj bank accoun.

In a statement dated May 17, 2022, and signed by the Executive Secretary to the president, Nana Asante Bediatuo, copied to the Board Chairman of the Pilgrims Affairs of Gana, Sheikh Ibrahim Cudjoe Quaye, stated: “The attention of the President of the Republic has been drawn to a letter dated May 15, 2022 (copy attached) from you addressed to the Ministry of Hajj and Umra of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia purporting to appoint signatories to the Hajj account of the Pilgrims Affairs Office of Ghana held at the Riyadh Bank, A-Baghdayia branch in Jeddah”.

The statement sighted by The Anchor explained that in the said letter, “You [the board] purport to assign Mr Hamza Tanko as a signatory to the bank account and further described him as a board member/director of finance”.

It noted that, “As you are aware, the President is the appointing authority for all appointment to the Hajj Board and the President is not aware of, and has not appointed, Mr. Hamza Tanko as a member of the Hajj Board. The purported designation and description of Mr. Hamza Tanko as a Board Member/ Director Finance in your letter is therefore, without any basis”.

As a result, the presidency instructed, “Accordingly, you are hereby directed to take immediate steps to remove the name of Mr. Hamza Tanko as a signatory to the account, and in any other official duties of the Hajj Board.”

The Patriotic Muslim Front PMF, which is a coalition of young Muslim intellectuals, politicians and students has been on forefront leading campaign against what they described as “insensitive leadership of IC Quaye” following the upward review of the cost of this year’s Pilgrims fees and alleged breach of contract by the Hajj Board.

The board, reviewed 2022 Muslim Pilgrims fees from GH₵19,500 to GH₵39,000 which many considered as astronomical.

Source: theanchorghana