GENERAL NEWS

Ghanaian pilgrims to Israel warned

Samuel Kofi Dzamesi, the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, on Friday, cautioned Christians undertaking a tour to historic sites in Israel to pray not to attempt absconding as the Israeli Police will hunt for them.

He reminded the 50 Christians that since the introduction of pilgrimage to Israel in 2017, not a single person absconded or attempted to hide in order to stay behind and work or use the pilgrimage as conduit to travel to other countries whenever they embarked on the journey.

Mr Dzamesi said the government was collaborating with Israel to ensure that anyone who attempted illegal act was dealt with according to the laws of the host.

“It is not a private pilgrimage, but government to government, so if you try to run away, you will be arrested and be put in jail and trust me, you will not like Israeli jail,” Mr Dzamesi said.

He encouraged them to use the one week period of stay in Israel to pray for themselves and for the nation as a whole.

“Make sure you grab the spirit when you go so that when you return, you will become a different person. You know that to do good is more difficult than to do bad, so pray so that we will all be able to do the right things easily,” he added.

The Minister said over thousand people went to Israel and returned successfully since 2017, and disclosed that another 200 people would also embark on the pilgrimage in May and another 200 in August this year.

He explained that none of the travelers was sponsored by government, but by themselves and their churches.

Mr Dzamesi noted that, there was a thorough screening of the people who applied to embark on the trip by the Bureau of National Investigations, Police, and the Ministries of Chieftaincy and Foreign Affairs.

He said 250 people applied to embark on the trip, but only 47 qualified to be beneficiaries.

Mr Victor Satuh, the Head of Business Development, One People Travels, a travel and tour agency and organizers of the trip, advised the travelers to be law abiding and disciplined, while on the trip to avoid any problems with the Israeli law enforcers.

He also asked them to be patient and undergo all health screening processes on the way, especially as the epidemic of Coronavirus was on the rise.

 

Source: GNA

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. In addition to his media ventures, Solomon serves as a Brand Ambassador for Alabuga, a prominent Russian industrial company, representing their interests and expansion across Africa. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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