Next Christian pilgrimage holds next month and the plan of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, NCPC, is to have a reasonable number of pilgrims for this year’s exercise.
Addressing a conference in Lagos, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, NCPC, Rev. Yakubu Pam, said the commission is targetting not less than 10,000 participants and consultations were strenghted to raise the number.
“We are preparing to travel with about 10,000 pilgrims, we already have 3,000 on ground that Lagos State government has given us, Ebonyi has given us 300 and Imo State has also given us 500, we are going round to revive the pilgrimage, in other states and one of the ways of reviving it is by appreciating the people who have done well.’’
According to Rev. Pam,the commission has been holding meetings with its stakeholders including state governments who have been the major sponsors of pilgrims.
For a hitchfree exercise, he stated that arrangements were being made with the Israeli authorities on the possibility of a direct flight from Nigeria to Israel and also the chance of procuring a three-month group visa for Nigerian Pilgrims that would cover the pilgrimage period as against the two-week visa policy.
Rev. Pam noted that he has met with the State Pilgrimage Leaders and Managers, comprising the State Chairmen and Secretaries of State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Boards and FCT, towards charting a new course for the 2021 General Pilgrimage to Israel, Jordan and Rome.
He said has also recently visited the State of Israel where he met with the Israeli Minister of Tourism as well as the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria.
According to him the visit is fruitful as the Israeli authorities are disposed to commence direct flight from Nigeria to Tel-Aviv.
