Yakubu Busari
The Executive Secretary of the Christian Pilgrim Board, Rev. Fr. George Gorap has raised alarm over the killings in the Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State with a large number of farmers leaving their villages with beds, cooking utensils by calling on the incoming government to immediately take the necessary action to restore and return farmers back if not the state might experience food crisis.
Speaking in an exclusive interview at the Christian Pilgrim headquarters in Jos, Rev Fr George Gorap appealed for calm and seek the intervention of security agencies to stop the wanton destruction of lives and properties in the state.
He said, on a general note I will say that I am very grateful to God Almighty for bringing us to the end of this tenure of Governor Simon Bako Lalong. He brought me in the last four years and I can assure you that it is a worthwhile experience. The experience generally has been worthwhile because our last operation has been very successful as known. Plateau state has been known for pilgrimage activities and the state took advantage of that in the last operation where His Excellency graciously help in sponsoring which was a great decision in spite of the harsh economic challenges.
According to him, the journey was in two batches, In the first phase he sponsored 350 and later added 70 pilgrims giving us 420 pilgrims for 2023 and we have two batches and nobody absconded as usual. We are happy that we look up to the next Pilgrim that we intend to have.
He explained further that sometimes like in the last experience, we had challenges from NPC and locally here and the first challenge we had was the first batch couldn’t pay their BT in time so we discovered that there have been logistics challenges.
We may wish to apologize to our 1st batch of Pilgrim for that so let’s take it as that was the will of God, however, the exercise was successful.
Gorap noted that there are a lot of challenges, why I said that it was a worthwhile experience but these challenges came it support to be that stepping stone as part of the Pilgrim Board to acquire. The issue of Pilgrims not being sincere to themselves toward their health status.
“You might have heard that this year during the first batch operation we lost one of them because of a lack of sincerity in their health status, and secondly because most of them that are anxious to travel, they hid their health status. We prefer that Pilgrims should be sincere to themselves because the exercise is a spiritual journey and that is the moment where you would have spiritual contact with God your creator so we advise them to be honest.
However, the fact you tell us about your health status we can’t prevent you from travelling but that would help equip us with the necessary medical condition of health so this thing the board is very serious about it ,” he said.
We appeal that anybody that is handling this office is very serious about it to all the intending Pilgrims in the future. All the intending Pilgrims are expected to be sincere to the authority about their health status because nobody will deprive them away from travelling all you need is to communicate to us this is body chemistry that will help provide us with the data of individual health conditions.
Fr . Gorap says,” Deep in my mind, I am grateful to God because I was able to discharge my responsibility without fear or favour and I put in all that I know about the work. Also, glad that we came to the end of my four years one absconded because of our thorough screening, particularly for those whom we have screened to travel we have accurate with our data which is a big achievement because Plateau state didn’t record any history of absconding member under me.
Rev Fr George Gorap disclosed that while we welcome the new administration, my advice is that Mutfwang should be serious with the promotion of pilgrimage activities and let look at it as a pillar that holds Plateau together, Pilgrim that you see is interdenominational is not only main for Catholic or COCIN churches alone and all Pilgrims prepared themselves to travel together for the spiritual journey so it is our example to our journey to heaven.
He maintained that it is a united force, but when you go on with the opinion of others that are complaining that it is a waste of money that is not true. I will tell you that what the Pilgrims have done to the state is so great it has developed the human being we won’t talk about roads or hospitals no we emphasize human being and their spiritual journey that help to shape and built humanity and their relationship with their creator.
Adding, that thing that is so important to human beings so let the incoming government declare their opinion of those people who are saying Pilgrim is bad, especially some of the States that are lacking behind like Imo state have overtaken the position of sponsoring the highest.
He urged the state governor to look at it carefully because the spiritual journey has a lot to benefit people, we need prayers that we shouldn’t play with Pilgrim activities.
Rev Fr George condemned the insensitive destruction of lives and properties in Mangu LGA, honestly am leaving in Pankshin I come in from there every week the situation I saw is so pathetic that people are moving out of their homes with their properties. I share that experience with people that when I saw people packing their beds, and cooking utensils I think something is wrong somewhere.
He charged the government to kindly do something to address it and these people I saw them moving out for fear of attackers is not a good idea the state Governor should find out what really went wrong so I advise the incoming government to stop it and be serious with a security issue.
We urge the government to come in immediately and ensure that the people go back to their homes to commence this year’s farming season my lead food crisis
