By Ebriku John Friday
The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, NCPC, has airlifted the 3rd batch of intending Pilgrims of Imo State to Israel and Jordan from the Port Harcourt International Airport on the 18th of May, 2023.
Speaking at the farewell and orientation programme for the intending Pilgrims, the Executive Secretary Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, Rev Dr Yakubu Pam assured the intending Pilgrims that the Commission would continue to provide excellent service delivery to the Nigerian Pilgrims while in the Holy land.
He explained that the Commission would ensure that the service providers carry out their own aspect of the contractual agreement reached with the Commission.
According to him, ” We have the right to suspend any of our service providers if found wanting”. Therefore, he affirmed that the welfare of the Nigerian Pilgrims would never be compromised.
He explained that the Commission would continue to do everything possible to make sure that no pilgrim has any cause to complain as every logistics had been put in place to ensure a smooth and hitch free pilgrimage exercise.
He described the intending Pilgrims as the Ambassadors of the Commission, stating that once a Pilgrim receives the Jerusalem Pilgrim,s title, he or she becomes the Ambassador of the Commission through the evangelization of pilgrimage.
He urged them to be good ambassadors of Nigeria, Christ, Imo and even the Ambassadors of their local government.
Rev Pam thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for creating the enabling environment for Christian pilgrimage to thrive in the country.
He also thanked the Executive Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma for his magnanimous gesture of sponsoring about 1000 Imo christians to the Holy land after about ten years of no pilgrimage sponsorship.He urged them to ensure they conduct themselves decently while in the Holy land.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Imo State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Rev Fr Gilbert Alaribe, thanked the Executive Secretary of NCPC, Rev Dr Yakubu Pam for the support and cooperation he received from the Commission which he described as “unquantifiable cooperation “.
Rev Fr Alaribe also thanked the Executive Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma for his uncommon concern for the welfare of christians in Imo State.
He urged the intending Pilgrims to maximize the opportunity provided by the pilgrimage to pray fervently for themselves in Jordan and Israel, according to him,” so that all of us will become better christians and better Human beings “.
It would be recalled that the first batch of pilgrims from Imo State departed for the Holy land on 28th April, 2023 and the second batch departed on 8th May, 2023 from Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu made up of pilgrims from Enugu state.
This third batch is made up of about 300 intending Pilgrims from Imo State.
