By Ebriku John Friday
The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission has airlifted about 300 intending Christian pilgrims from Enugu state for the second batch of the 2023 Easter pilgrimage exercise to Israel and Jordan.
The airlift of the intending Pilgrims took place on the 8th of May, 2023 at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, said Mr Celestine Toruka, Deputy Director and Head Media and public Relations, in a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday.
Speaking at the Orientation and farewell event for the intending intending Pilgrims, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, Rev Dr Yakubu Pam commended the Executive Governor of Enugu state, His Excellency, RT. Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for advancing the cause of Christian pilgrimage in his state.
In his words,” We in NCPC are proud of you and will keep celebrating you for what you have done”.
Rev Pam affirmed that any project started under the leadership of Governor Ugwuanyi usually records great success.
To this effect, he stressed that the Commission,s 2022 Main pilgrimage exercise which commenced in Enugu on 16th December, 2022 recorded tremendous success.
He thanked Governor Ugwuanyi for giving the Commission such an opportunity to commence the inaugural flight of last year’s Main pilgrimage exercise with the Enugu pilgrims.
He further explained that the Commission honoured the Executive Governor of Enugu state in 2021 with the outstanding most friendly Christian pilgrimage Governor in the country because of his consistency in the sponsorship of christians on pilgrimage.
He averred that pilgrimage is not tourism, rather it is a spiritual journey of faith and prayers . According to him,” prayer was what kept Nigeria together all through the general elections”. He added, ” because of prayers, this country is still united and moving forward”.
He maintained that because of the commitment of the Governor of Enugu state in terms of pilgrimage sponsorship, other states in the South East had been encouraged to sponsor Christians to the Holy land.
Rev Pam urged the intending Pilgrims to pray for Nigeria, Enugu state and themselves while in the Holy land.
He further advised the intending Pilgrims to jettison any plan to abscond during pilgrimage and ensure they come back to Nigeria as the Commission frowns at such embarrassing act.
In his remarks at the event, the Executive Governor of Enugu state, RT.Hon.Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi said Enugu state had remained the most peaceful state in the country because of the proactive leadership style of his administration.
He stressed that under his administration, the state had been consistent in the sponsorship of christians to the Holy land because he had used pilgrimage as an instrument to touch lives.
Governor Ugwuanyi urged the intending Pilgrims to be good ambassadors of the state by conducting themselves well in the Holy land. He further enjoined them to pray for Enugu state and the in – coming administration in the state.
He commended NCPC for being able to achieve zero abscondment of pilgrims. According to him,” I commend the organizers of this pilgrimage exercise for recording zero abscondment.
It would be recalled that the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission flagged off the 2023 Easter pilgrimage exercise to Israel and Jordan on 28th April, 2023 in Owerri, Imo state capital.
