By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
Executive Secretary of the Christian Pilgrim Commission, Rev Dr Yakubu Pam has flagged off the 2023 Easter pilgrimage exercise to Israel and Jordan in Owerri, Imo state capital.
Rev. Pam noted that the 2 23 Imo Easter Pilgrims flag off is in line with the Commissions policy of doing flag -offs in states with the highest pilgrims.
The event which took place on 28th April, 2023 at the Government House Chapel, Owerri attracted high profile personalities and major stakeholders, especially the clergy and the Christian community.
He commended the gesture of the Executive Governor of Imo state, Senator Hope Uzodinma as unprecedented for having sponsored the highest number of pilgrims in recent time, adding that Imo state as the first in the federation.
The highly excited Executive Secretary of NCPC said he was happy to identify with the governor whom he described as the “Chief Mobilizer of pilgrims”for the Commission.,
He averred that NCPC encourages sponsorship of pilgrims and the pilgrimage activities of the Commission helps to encourage spiritual growth and promote national unity.
He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for advancing the cause of pilgrimage in Nigeria for both Christian pilgrimage and Hajj.
He urged the intending Pilgrims to pray for the state and the country in the Holy land while admonishing them to ensure they come back to the country after their pilgrimage experience as the Commission would not tolerate any case of absconders.
Chairman of Imo State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Rev. Fr Gilbert Alaribe in his remarks thanked the Executive Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma for his generousity in sponsoring 1000 intending Pilgrims to Israel and Jordan.
He explained that since 2014 Imo State had not sponsored christians to the Holy land, stating that no past administration in the state had ever sponsored these number of christians to the Holy land.
The Chairman commended Gov. Uzodimma for including and sponsoring less privileged Christians in all the rural areas in the state in the pilgrimage exercise.
He urged the intending Pilgrims to pray for the Governor, for his good health and for lasting peace in the state.
Governor Hope Uzodinma stated that from the beginning of his administration he had promised to continue to support evangelism and Christian pilgrimage activities because according to him, ” without God nothing works”.
The governor thanked God for opportunity given to his people to visit the Holy land, he stressed that the Holy land had a way of affecting the lives of the people positively.
Governor Uzodinma said the intending Pilgrims were representatives of the people as such they were expected to go to the Holy land of Israel on behalf of the people of the state.His words, ” you are going as a representative of the people”.
He urged the intending Pilgrims to be good ambassadors of the state and Nigeria by conducting themselves well in Israel.
He cautioned the intending Pilgrims to shun abscondment and ensure they come back to the country.
He said, ” you must come back with others so that you do not spoil our record, because what we say is what we do.”
The first batch of intending Pilgrims of Imo State made up of about 300 were airlifted through the Port Harcourt International Airport direct to Amman, kingdom of Jordan where they are expected to spend three nights before proceeding to Israel.
