By YANGE IKYAA
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has been awarded the best Pilgrimage Governor in the Northeast region of the country.
The governor won the award following his sponsorship of the largest Christian Pilgrims contingent to the Kingdom of Jordan from the Northeast of Nigeria.
Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Rev. Dr. Yakubu Pam, personally handed over the award to the governor in Bauchi.
Presenting the award to the Governor at the Bauchi State Government House on Friday, December 24, Rev Pam praised the tremendous efforts made by Governor Mohammed in the sponsorship of pilgrims of both faiths to perform their sacred religions obligations without discrimination.
According to Pam, “His Excellency has a long cordial relationship with the Commission dating back to the time he served the country as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.
“Today we are here to celebrate you for your unrelenting support during the last Pilgrimage exercise where you stood out amongst your peers. Your balanced approach to both faiths and ethnicities is noted.
“My mission to Bauchi State is to appreciate and encourage the Executive Governor and to award you as the best Governor for sponsoring the largest number of Pilgrims in the Northeast.”
Rev. Pam also intimated the governor that the Commission intends to airlift 10,000 Pilgrims for the 2022 General Pilgrimage exercise to Israel, Greece, Rome and Jordan in February.
His words: “We are mobilizing 10,000 Christian Pilgrims for this year’s pilgrimage to Israel, Greece, Rome and Jordan by February 2022.
“I solicite for your further support Mr Governor in the sponsorship of Bauchi State Pilgrims to achieve this target.”
The NCPC further commended the governor for his impact in the areas of infrastructures, youth and women development and empowerment, to which he adduced could be visibly seen from within and outside Bauchi State, urging the governor to “keep being a good leader.”
Pam went on to describe the governor as a man who does not forget the grassroots, thanking him for participating in the just concluded 2020 pilgrimage to the Kingdom of Jordan.
Responding, Governor Bala Mohammed described Rev. Pam as his brother and a man of the people.
He gave praise to God for the life of service to all people and Nigeirans by the NCPC boss, noting that Rev. Pam made his day by bringing a goodwill message that made his day feel like Christmas!
According to him, “I take pilgrimage seriously and this spurs me to do more.
“My administration has built a befitting pilgrims transit camp to be used by both Christians and Muslims.
“I urge the Commission to consider the state as one of the places to be used for transporting pilgrims to the Holy Land.
“I want people from Jos and Gombe to take off from here. I charge the good people of Bauchi State to be accommodating and patient so that there will be peace and harmony in the State.”
