BENIN CITY – Officials of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission on Monday, visited Benin where they had an interactive session with members of The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Edo State chapter.
The commission’s officials were led by its Executive Secretary, Mr. John Kennedy Okpara who briefed the CAN members on federal government’s stance on pilgrimage.
According to him, the federal government has stopped sponsoring any intending pilgrim to the holy land, since the commission was inaugurated on June 23, this year.
He said that while state governments were at liberty to sponsor, church leaders and their faithful should rely less on government for sponsorship.
Noting that pilgrimage to the holy land has its intrinsic spiritual blessing, he cautioned against using the exercise for merchandising, a development that defeats government’s intention.
To ensure that only those whose mission to the holy land is spiritually inclined, Mr. Okafor said CAN would be involved in the screening of intending pilgrims.
“We have told government, we don’t want political jamboree”, he said, adding “our target is to complete pilgrimage before the end of the year.”
He explained that the commission would be replicated at the state level but would be known as state Christian Pilgrims Agency.
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