By YANGE IKYAA
The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission is poised to commence the 2021 main pilgrimage to Israel, Jordan and Rome in the first quarter of 2022.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Rev. Dr. Yakubu Pam, made the disclosure on Wednesday, during an interview with the media in Abuja.
The NCPC boss stated that the Commission would ensure that the 2021 main pilgrimage exercise would experience a hitch free operation.
He affirmed that the 2020 maiden pilgrimage to the Kingdom of Jordan was a huge success, despite the fact that the exercise took place at the peak of the global pandemic.
He was particularly enthused that the pilgrimage recorded Zero abscondment of pilgrims, a feat that had not been feasible in Nigeria’s pilgrimage experience of about a decade.
Rev. Pam posited that because of the huge success recorded in the Jordan pilgrimage, countries like Israel and Turkey are now eager to work with the Commission, which is a healthy development for the growth of our Christian Pilgrimage.
The NCPC helmsman further threw more light on the pilgrimage route for the 2021 pilgrimage which, according to him, “would start from Israel to Jordan, while the Rome package will start from Rome to Israel.”
He revealed that the Commission would make every effort to raise as much as 10,000 intending pilgrims for the 2021 main pilgrimage.
The NCPC Chief Executive also hinted that the Commission, as part of its preparation for the 2021 pilgrimage, would embark on the State of Readiness visit to Israel, with the state pilgrimage leaders by the end of January, 2022.
He explained that the visit would afford them the opportunity to inspect the hotels, as well as the Holy Sites in Israel.
He further disclosed that the Commission would ensure that it meets with the requirements of international travels, in line with the guidelines of the Federal Government and the Israeli authorities on COVID-19 protocols.
To this end, he intimated that the Commission had embarked on the administration of the COVID-19 booster doses for staff who had taken the first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, which would be extended to the intending pilgrims in the states.
In this connection, he further stated that the selected members of the Federal Medical team for the 2021 main pilgrimage were ready and they would be able to render effective medical care for our pilgrims during pilgrimage.
