Mercy Johnson
Reverend Yakubu Pam, the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) has assured intending consular and self-sponsored pilgrims that the Commission considers their safety a top priority.
NCPC’s Head of Media and Public Relations, Celestine Toruka, revealed this in a statement on Monday.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelPam, while speaking at an orientation programme held simultaneously in Lagos and Abuja for the intending pilgrims for the last batch of the Easter pilgrimage completion exercise to Israel and Jordan, disclosed that the fifth batch of pilgrims who had recently gone through the same exercise, had successfully crossed over to Amman, Jordan and will arrive in Nigeria today, October 9, 2023.
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Referencing the security situation in Israel, the NCPC boss stated that the “current fragile security situation in Israel is majorly being felt in Southern Israel, which is not within our pilgrimage circle.”
Pam reassured the pilgrims that their safety “is of paramount concern to the Commission,” while disclosing that their journey would begin on the 10th of October 2023, to arrive in Amman, Jordan on the 11th, where they would spend four days, before proceeding to Israel, depending on the nature of the security situation in Israel by then.
He expressed hope that the crisis in Israel would soon dissipate and would allow the last batch of pilgrims to visit Israel from Jordan.
Pam warned intending pilgrims against engaging in negative behaviours that would trample on the successful completion of their pilgrims’ exercise.
He said: “The Commission will not hesitate to deport any pilgrim who plans to abscond during pilgrimage.”
The orientation programme for intending pilgrims was supervised by the Mobilisation Department of the Commission.
