10th May, 2017
Rev. Tor Uja, Executive Secretary, Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), has urged Christian Pilgrimage Operators (CPOs) to develop increased working capacity and to deliver efficient services to Nigerian Pilgrims.
Uja also wants the operators to acquire added access to global practices and networks.
NCPC boss made the call in a statement signed by Mr Celestine Ogugua, Head Media, NCPC, and made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.
He was quoted to have said this at the Conference of Christian Pilgrimage Operators (CPO) held in Lagos.
According to Uja, Pilgrimage must achieve the designed purpose of serving Nigeria, projecting Christ and also to promote developments and become the pride of Nigeria.’’
He explained that the main aim of the Conference was to create the needed environment for CPOs to succeed and to create an avenue for more to emerge as CPOs.
He said the conference was also to ensure more organised, coherent and predictable pattern for pilgrimage operations in Nigeria.
Rev. Uja commended State Governors for supporting many Christians to embark on Holy pilgrimage over the years.
“This can still be improved so that greater number of Christians are given the opportunity to visit the Holy Land of God at least once in their lifetime,’’ he said.
He also commended the Federal Government for offering services and infrastructure for the organisation and supervision of pilgrimage.
Dr Abdul-Hakeem Abdul-Lateef, Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs, noted that Nigerians who embark on pilgrimage must see the exercise as a platform for soul searching, cleansing and not a jamboree.
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“The idea of going on pilgrimage is for us to go there and come back better citizens, it is not going on jamboree; it is for us to come back and make our country a better place.
“We want a situation whereby as Christians, everything about us professes Christianity; there should be dignity and honour to those that have the title of Jerusalem Pilgrim (JP),’’ he said.
The commissioner also urged NCPC to be innovative and make the pilgrimage more enriching for pilgrims.
He urged the commission to bring out new ideas, change the timetable and the places visited on a yearly basis.
“I want to charge NCPC to come up with innovations, a lot of people want to go on a yearly basis, but would prefer to tour different places rather than the same place.