The Cote D’ivoire Ambassador to Nigeria, Her Excellency Toure nee Kone Maman has said solicited the collaboration of the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission in harnessing the Christian Holy Sites in her country.
She disclosed this in Abuja recently during a courtesy visit to the Executive Secretary of NCPC, Rev. Tor Uja in his office. According to her, “this collaboration is very important to us as a country”.
She explained that her country had very important Holy Sites that the Commission would explore and help in promoting it not only in Africa, but to the whole world.
Specifically, she said that Cote D’ivoire has the biggest Basilica in the world as well as a well known Cathedral which she said was commissioned by Pope John Paul II among others.
She appealed to the Executive Secretary to graciously send a team of NCPC Staff to Cote D’ivoire to inspect and ascertain the viability of these Christian Holy Sites in the Franco phone West Africa country.
She thanked the Executive Secretary for receiving her and team at short notice and his willingness to partner with her country on this laudable programme of promoting her country’s Christian Holy Sites.
In his response, the Executive Secretary of NCPC, Rev. Tor Uja assured the Ambassador that whatever she needs on pilgrimage could be found in the Commission. He thanked her for a wonderful presentation of very important Holy Sites in Cote D’ivoire.
The NCPC boss stressed that the Basilica in Cote D’ivoire is the biggest in the world. He hinted that Christian pilgrimage had its root in Africa. In the words of the Executive Secretary, “in the next few years Nigeria and Africa will become a tourist and pilgrimage destination in the world’. He added, “Africa has the strongest convention going on in the world”.
He assured the Envoy that he would select a formidable team that would go to Cote D’ivoire to explore the Christian Holy Sites in that country. He promised to lead a verification team to Cote D’ivoire after assessing the report of the team that would explore the Christian Holy Sites in the West African country.
The NCPC boss affirmed the need for Christians to go beyond Holy Sites but to bring out the spirituality in such sites.
Rev. Uja also stressed the need for African to come together more and more, which according to him, will help to harness the spiritual Sites. His words: “As we forge ahead in our development, Africa needs to come together more and more”.
Rev. Uja called on the church in Nigeria to take ownership of Christian pilgrimage because the church has the capacity to do so.
He further called on the Church in Nigeria to be key stakeholders of Christian pilgrimage.
