Yakubu Busari
Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang of Plateau State has sponsored over 890 pilgrims including four self-sponsored candidates totaling 894 contingents to be airlifted to Jerusalem to fulfill this year’s Christian obligation to Holyland.
The Executive Secretary, of Plateau State Christian Welfare Board, Rev.Wanson Yusufu Bagu commended the office of the National Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) for appealing to the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to come to their rescue with the rise of dollar exchange rate that led unnecessary delay of Nigeria airlift intending pilgrim journey.
He disclosed that the delay for this year’s 2024 airlift of intending pilgrims was due to the rise in the dollar exchange rate, as the earlier payment of 3 million returned tickets for candidates was doubled creating room for additional funds to complete the exercise.
Speaking on the challenges of airlifting this year intending pilgrim from Plateau State, Rev.Yusufu Bagu expressed concern that the intervention of the National Christian Pilgrims Commission, NCPC, Chairman, had given hope that the chapter might meet up with the 29th June 2024 dateline scheduled.
In preparation for the pilgrim journey, when I resumed work as the executive secretary of the board what I met on the ground was a shortly a proposal for revisit before we embarked on the preparation for the pilgrimage which was carryout successfully.
We went to meet the NCPC to inquire about the safer places to visit hoping to avoid the Jerusalem issue due to the incessant crises between Hamas and Israeli but in the process there was a change in the leadership of the National Chairman of NCPC and the current Executive Secretary said in his conviction that Nigeria would still maintain Jerusalem destination.
According to him, the initial plan of the NCPC was that the pilgrim was to visit Rome, Greek Turkey, and Jordan which were some of the countries as part of the pilgrim journey, and the countries we visited I understand very well that Jerusalem remained safe.
Bagu stated that they have resolved that owning to the upheaval experienced we had to cut off our plan for visiting Rome, Greece and that was done on the 31st May, 2024 but the only international Airport in Tel-avi wasn’t open because of the ongoing war.
We also spent one week there and we visited Northern Galilee down to Southern Jerusalem, and Jericho there was calmness everywhere so this is where we visited and they assured us that even with the crises between Israel and Hamas you don’t even hear the sound of a gunshot with normal business activities going on.
There, you see the movement of people throughout the night uninterrupted which debunked some people’s fear that we shouldn’t visit Jerusalem and promised them that whenever they see me alive they should understand that the place is safe.
Rev.Wanson lamented that he lacked the boldness to approach Mr. Governor after hearing the increase in the fair knowing fully well how the governor courageously sacrificed the merger resources in providing numerous projects in the state.
They also cried out due to the increase and the government gave them a listening ear where funds were promised to be released. As of now, the money has not been credited to NCPC so we hope that when that is done almost all the 36 states with Abuja will be ready.
However, the Plateau State chapter had already forwarded the names of the first batch and is working on the second batch to ensure that the same plane shall convey them in batches.
