65-Year-Old Man to Walk 250 Km for Mahama’s Swearing-In
Alhaji Ayaana, a 65-year-old businessman and philanthropist from Tamale, plans to embark on a symbolic 250-km walk from Kumasi to Accra on January 7, 2025, to attend John Dramani Mahama’s swearing-in as President of Ghana. He announced his intention to honor the President-elect following the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) victory in the 2024 elections.
The walk will begin on January 5, with Alhaji Ayaana aiming to complete the journey in three days. This initiative follows his past symbolic walks, including a walk in 1997 to mark former President Jerry John Rawlings’ second swearing-in and a peace and health walk in Tamale in 1999. His most recent effort was a 19-km health walk from the Yakubu Tali International Airport to Jubilee Park in Tamale to celebrate Ghana’s peaceful 2024 elections.
Alhaji Ayaana expressed hope that President Mahama would fulfil key campaign promises, including reducing the high costs of Hajj for Muslims in Ghana. “This year, pilgrims using my agency paid about GH¢40,000, while others paid as much as GH¢75,000 for the same Hajj. Reducing the Hajj fare, as promised, will ease the burden on Muslims wishing to perform their pilgrimage,” he noted. He also urged the President-elect to decentralize visa issuance and biometric verification processes for northern regions to ease travel challenges for pilgrims.
A traditional healer, Baako Alhassan, who joined the Tamale health walk, praised Alhaji Ayaana’s commitment, describing his actions as a testament to resilience and patriotism. He encouraged others to emulate his dedication to physical health and national unity. The upcoming walk is expected to draw attention to the importance of unity and active citizenship in Ghana.