Rev Dr Yakubu Pam, NCPC Executive Secretary
NCPC to resume Christian pilgrimage to Israel, says Executive Secretary
The Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission, NCPC, says it will resume its major Christian pilgrimage to the Holy land of Israel later this year with no fewer than ten thousand intending pilgrims participating in the exercise which will take them to both Israel and Jordan.
The Executive Secretary of the commission, Rev Dr Yakubu Pam, disclosed this at the Living Faith Church, Auta Balefi, Nasarawa State during a four-day retreat organized by the commission.
It would be recalled that the commission in July, 2021 carried out the 2020 pilgrimage to the Kingdom of Jordan following the refusal by the Israeli government to allow pilgrims into the country due to COVID-19 protocol concerns.
This year, however, NCPC says it is working to resume the pilgrimage to Israel on terms that will be agreed upon by both the NCPC and the Israeli Tourism Ministry.
The NCPC boss said that the Commission had received an invitation from the Israeli government regarding the 2021 major pilgrimage that is expected to take place at the end of the year.
According to him, the Commission will make its position known to the Nigerian public after holding discussions with officials of the Israeli government which would border on the COVID-19 protocol.
“We have received an invitation to come over to Israel to discuss on this year’s Christian pilgrimage.
“I will not make any official statement now until we finish every discussion with them bordering on the COVID-19 protocol,” he said.
Rev Pam said that the 2020 Christian pilgrimage exercise which was done for the first time in the Kingdom of Jordan this year was a success.
The ten thousand pilgrims earmarked for this year’s exercise, he said, will be visiting both Jordan and Israel, adding that it was subject to the outcome of the discussions that will be held with the Israeli government.
Rev Pam said that the purpose of the 2021 staff retreat was to prepare the members of staff for the huge task of mobilizing ten thousand pilgrims for this year’s pilgrimage exercise which he described as “a major exercise”.
He added that it was also aimed at fortifying the gains of the Jordan pilgrimage which ended in September, adding that the commission will always strive to maintain its good record and ensure the zero absconding of pilgrims, a feat which he said was achieved during the Jordan pilgrimage.
A statement by Ayuba Pam, the spokesman for the NCPC boss, said that the staff retreat which commenced on Nov 4 will end on Nov 8.