Monday expressed concern over the
report that northern state
governments did not sponsor
Christian pilgrims during the 2014
pilgrimage to Israel.
He raised the concern when the
leader of the Federal Government’s
delegation to the pilgrimage, Pastor
Ayo Oritsejafor, led other members
to present their report at the
Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Oritsejafor, who is the President of
the Christian Association of
Nigeria, had earlier told the
President that all Christian pilgrims
from all the states in the North
were sponsored by individuals or
were self-sponsored.
He said with the total of 12,890
pilgrims that performed the
exercise, the Nigeria Christian
Pilgrims Commission recorded
about 45 per cent increase in self-
sponsorship.
The President, however, said
economic pressure might have
forced the affected state
governments to withdraw from
sponsoring pilgrims.
He, however, promised to
encourage the affected state
governments on the need to change
their stand.
He said, “The only thing I noticed is
that various state governments are
trying to withdraw from
sponsorship of pilgrimage; maybe
because of the economic pressure
on them. But we will encourage
them to do so.
“Luckily, private institutions have
shown interest and I believe that
religious bodies, individuals and
private institutions will gradually
begin to key into the pilgrimage
operations.
“So, if sub-national governments
relax a little, the gap will be filled
up.”
He expressed delight that the
exercise was hitch-free despite the
huge number of people involved.
He promised that his
administration would study the
report and implement the various
recommendations made.
The President thereafter dissolved
the 10-man delegation, with a
promise to constitute that of 2015
very soon.
As part of the delegation’s report,
Oritsejafor called for the adequate
funding of Nigerian embassies in
Rome, Greece and Tel Aviv to assist
in the handling of pilgrims.
He also called on various
governments, both at the state and
local levels, to sponsor Christians
for pilgrimage especially as the
Commission was using the
pilgrimage as a tool for moral and
spiritual transformation.
Source: PunchNg
