How Two From Plateau Absconded During The 2017 Christian Pilgrim Exercise In Jerusalem

Yakubu Busari

Two persons have been reported to have absconded in the Holy land during the 2017 Christian Pilgrims from Plateau state while they were performing their religious obligation.

Information available indicated that they disappeared in their hotel rooms, though they’re not indigent of Plateau state but registered themselves under the Local Government and state-contingent as their indigene certificates showed Plateau state and they left it inside their hotel rooms.

The Executive Secretary of Christian Pilgrim Board, Rev, Rev, Fr George Gorap disclosed that the two persons who absconded are not Christian but disguised to be from Plateau state.

He said we experienced spillover of those who were unable to go to holy land in 2017, so we decided to accommodate them first to clear the problem first, before embarking on a fresh awareness campaign.

However, he noted the last batch of the 2017 contingents to end 2017 spillover were the remaining 4 who moved to join other states to perform the exercise who left on Monday to Jerusalem.

Rev Fr Gorap maintained that ahead of the 2018 batch of this year contingents preparation, we are going round to churches announcing to their denominational heads to educate their members on the need to sponsor members.

He stated that the board will take serious measure to tackle those who are always in the position of selling their seat to make gains as he said that under his watch it would not be a business as usual.

Rev George Gorap warned that local and state government-sponsored people with the intention of them to visit the holy land to pray for their soul and the Governor, Government but some few are using it for money making venture which he said is unacceptable in the eyes of God.

He stressed that the increase in the amount paid which is  usually not stable is due to the price of hotel accommodations available to the contingents.