The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, NCPC has airlifted about 280 intending Christian Pilgrims of Taraba and Gombe states from the Yola International Airport to Israel and Jordan.
In a signed statement by the
Head, Media and Public Relations, NCPC, Celestine Toruka made available to Channel Network Afrique, the Executive Secretary of the Commission ,Rev Yakubu Pam while addressing the intending pilgrims admonished them to be good Ambassadors of Nigeria while in the Holy land.
According to him,” we are concerned with the image of Nigeria during Pilgrimage and as such you should conduct yourself decently while on Pilgrimage.” He further stated that outside the country the image of Nigeria is what matters and not the image of any pilgrim or state.
He cautioned the intending pilgrims to shun abscoundment as the Commission had put every mechanism in place to make the act impossible.
Rev Pam, however expressed his gratitude to the Executive Governor of Taraba State, Arch. Darius Ishaiku for sponsoring such number of christians to the Holy land despite all odds, describing the Gov Ishaiku as a Pilgrimage friendly Governor who has eloquent testimonies of the benefits of christian Pilgrimage in his life .
He equally applauded the Executive Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya for supporting the christians in the state to embark on Holy Pilgrimage at a time like this, despite being a muslim, he saw the need to sponsor christians so that they could go to the Holy land to pray.
He further hinted that the intending pilgrims would arrivye Jordan first where they would commence their Pilgrimage exercise, afterwards they would proceed to Israel to continue their visit to the Holy Sites there.
In his welcome address, the Chairman Adamawa State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Bishop Peter Bartimaios thanked the Executive Secretary , Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, Rev Dr Yakubu Pam for his proactive leadership and advised the intending pilgrims to make judicious use of the opportunity to pray for themselves and Nigeria in the Holy land.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Conference of states who also doubles as the Chairman Taraba State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Rev Isaiah Magaji congratulated the Taraba intending pilgrims for the opportunity provided by the Executive Governor of Taraba State for them to go on holy Pilgrimage to Israel and Jordan and also commended the NCPC boss for his visionary leadership in sustaining Christian Pilgrimage in Nigeria.
The airlift of intending pilgrims of Taraba and Gombe state was the second batch to be conducted by NCPC in the ongoing 2022 December pilgrimage exercise to Israel and Jordan.
The intending pilgrims of Taraba and Gombe state departed the Yola International Airport at exactly 02:03am on 27 December, 2022 to Amman, the Kingdom of Jordan.
