By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commissions said about 300 intending Christian pilgrims from Enugu state for the second batch of the 2023 Easter pilgrimage exercise t have been airlifted Israel and Jordan.
The intending Pilgrims departed the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu yesterday 8th of May, 2023.
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 Governor of Enugu state, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for advancing the cause of Christian pilgrimage in his state .
He said, ” We in NCPC are proud of you and will keep celebrating you for what you have done, adding that any project started under the leadership of Governor Ugwuanyi usually records great success.”
Rev. Pam recalled that the 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 noted that owing to the Gov. Ugwuanyi’s commitment to pilgrimage exercise the Commission honoured the governor 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 maintained that because of the commitment of the Governor of Enugu state to pilgrimage sponsorship, other states in the South East had been encouraged to sponsor Christians to the Holy land.
Rev. Pam emphasized that pilgrimage is not tourism but a spiritual journey of faith and prayers .
” Prayer was what kept Nigeria together all through the general election , through prayers, this country is still united and moving forward.”
Rev Pam urged the intending Pilgrims to pray for Nigeria, Enugu state and themselves while in the Holy land.
He advised all intending Pilgrims to jettison any plan to abscond during pilgrimage but to come back to Nigeria as the Commission frowns at such embarrassing act.
Gov. Ugwuanyi said that Enugu state had remained the most peaceful state in the country because of the proactive leadership style of his administration and had been consistent in the sponsoship of christians to the Holy land because he had used pilgrimage as an instrument to touch lives.
The governor also 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 absconders of pilgrims.
He said ,” 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.
