Pilgrimage to Rome: NCPC flags off intending pilgrims’ screening

The executive secretary, Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Rev. Yakubu Pam, has flagged off the screening of the first batch of intending Adamawa pilgrims to Rome.

According to a press statement issued by the Commission’s head of media and public relations, Celestine Toruka, the NCPC boss performed the flag off on March 7, 2022, at the Adamawa state Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board in Yola.

Rev. Pam in his address appreciated the Adamawa state governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, for his “dynamic leadership, especially with regard to the way and manner he handles religious matters in the state and his timely intervention in resolving issues of the intending Adamawa pilgrims to Rome.”

“I am here to put everything together to make sure that things are done properly. This will be the first time the Commission would be travelling to Israel and Jordan as a combined pilgrimage destination for the 2021 Main/ 2022 Easter pilgrimage, while the other pilgrimage destination will be Rome and Israel,” he said.

He cautioned the intending pilgrims to shun the tendency of absconding in Rome as the Commission seriously frowns upon it, stressing, “If there is anything we fear about this journey is abscondment.”

Earlier, in his welcome address, the chairman of the Adamawa state Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Bishop Peter Bartimawus said “today marks the revalidation of the screening exercise for intending Adamawa pilgrims to Rome.”

He said it would be the desire of everyone that the screening process by NCPC would take them to the Holy Land and appealed to the intending pilgrims to be law-abiding.