Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, has advised officials of State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Boards across the country to discourage pilgrims from absconding in the Holy Land.
He gave the advice yesterday through the Permanent Secretary, Olusegun Adeyemi Adekunle, in Abuja during the closing ceremonies of a threeday “Strategic Meeting of the Board Members with Chairmen and Secretaries of States Christian Pilgrim Welfare Boards (SCPWBS) and representatives of the Ground Handlers and Air Carrier in preparation for the 2018 NovemberDecember pilgrimage to Israel, Rome and Greece.
“Reports from various quarters on the activities and attitude of Pilgrimage Leaders at home and abroad and also the challenge of abscondment recorded of supposed pilgrims in the last couple of years have given the federal government a cause for concern as the sad narrative is giving Nigeria a bad name abroad and makes Christian Pilgrimage appear as an unserious exercise or even a joke,” he said.
According to him, a situation where leaders appear to either condone and/ or cooperate with purported pilgrims to abscond in the Holy Land is unacceptable and that the government views it seriously.
He charged pilgrimage leaders to provide strong leadership and demonstrate character in the discharge of their duties.
“Your role, as pilgrimage leaders, goes beyond your various states and so defines your positions as representatives of Nigeria abroad.
I urge you therefore to see yourselves bigger than your States as you pursue the noble objectives of Christian Pilgrimage.
“Beyond the spiritual blessings which are very crucial, Nigeria stands to benefit in agriculture, technology, infrastructure, security and the building of decent and nationalist institutions and opportunities that can be explored for the good of Nigeria,” he said.
According to him, “the federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to supporting Pilgrimage with the goal that it will add value to peace, development and nationalism.” In his remarks, the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) boss, Rev Uja Tor Uja, thanked the federal government for its “unwavering support to the Commission and towards the success of all the pilgrimage journeys since the Commission was set up.
