The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) Rev. Tor Uja has said that the Commission would produce a specially printed Pilgrim’s Bible for the 2018 pilgrimage exercise. He made this known in his office during the Security training and orientation of Security Personnel, Staff and Stakeholders that will participate in the 2017 Christian Pilgrimage exercise to Israel, Rome and Greece.
According to him “I have notice that most pilgrims who embark on pilgrimage do not always have a bible” and thus the Commission would partner the Bible Society of Nigeria to produce specially design bible for all intending Pilgrims as from next year.
The Executive Secretary further informed that the security orientation was needful to secure the environment so that Nigerian pilgrims would have a hitch free pilgrimage and to build Christians up spiritually and have a mental health that would enable them think properly and develop Nigeria.
He stated that the Commission would build a proper Pilgrims Camp and Conference Centre closer to the airport so that all intending pilgrims are camped for about three days and would be subjected to security training, in his words, “this has become necessary as it has been observed that many pilgrims that go to the Holy Land year after year are just being outside the country for the first time and as such some go with different understanding, motive and perception of pilgrimage”.
He further informed that Christian pilgrimage is designed to deepen pilgrim’s understanding of Christ and to imbibe in them his lifestyle. In his words: “we want our pilgrims to explore the Holy Land and the miracle Jesus performed while on earth to enrich their faith”. Adding Commission would ensure that there would be time for reflections as this would enable all those who perform pilgrimage develop their leadership capacity.
The NCPC boss stated that the Commission is doing everything humanly possible to ensure a spiritual revolutionary pilgrimage activity that would rekindle flames of spirituality for Christ in every pilgrim who participates in pilgrimage.
Rev. Uja urged Christian Leaders to make Christian life developmental, desiring and attractive enough so that people would know that Christians stand for Christ which is the greatest thing in the world. He further urged Christians to have a national agenda that would help develop the nation. According to him, “every nation that has a purpose grows with a plan”.
Earlier, the Chairman of the, of the NCPC security sub-committee for the 2017 pilgrimage, Major General Nienge (RTD) thanked the NCPC boss for the opportunity to serve the Commission and the nation.
He stressed that the importance of security cannot be over emphasized. In his words, “the safety of the pilgrim is paramount to us and I promise that the Committee would ensure that every Christian pilgrim that travels on pilgrimage would return safely.
He urged pilgrims to be ambassadors of Christ and Nigeria through their behaviour in the Holy Land during pilgrimage. According to him, “Don’t do anything contrary to bring down the image of our country.
The Security training and orientation for staff, military personnel and stake holders was initiated in 2016 by the present leadership of NCPC and this is the second to be organized by the Commission.
This year’s Security training and orientation is slated for two days from 14th to 15th November, 2017, with the Focus “Security, Pilgrimage and Nigeria National Agenda
