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L/R Exe. Sec. NCPC, Mr. John Kennedy Opara presenting the 2013 Pilgrimage package to the Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief. Martins Elechi during a Sensitization visit of NCPC, to Ebonyi State recently. |
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Mr. John Kennedy Opara has allocated 400 seats to Ebonyi State for the 2013 Christian Pilgrimage Exercise. He disclosed these recently at Abakaliki while on a sensitization visit to Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Martins Elechi at Government House.
He initiated His Excellency that the President will be leading Christians in Nigeria on Holy Pilgrimage to Israel this year. He therefore appealed to the Governor to join the president on this historic trip to Israel. In his words “Mr. President will be going to Israel this year and this is the first time a serving Christian President will be going to Israel”.
He maintained that pilgrimage would continue to serve as a tool for moral and spiritual transformation. According to him “it is only people who are morally and spiritually sound that can maintain this legacy of government”.
He explained that the federal Government has approved the Exchange rate for this year Pilgrimage Exercise for both Christians and Muslims at the rate of one dollar to N146.This he said has brought a great reduction on the cost of pilgrimage from about 12% to 20%.
Mr. Opara also used the opportunity of the visit to inform the Governor that NCPC now operates three pilgrimage Exercise in a year. The latest being the Family Pilgrimage which averred parent the opportunity to pray with their Children. According to him “for the first time parent were able to travel with their children to Israel to go and pray”. He added that the first set of family pilgrims are back.
The NCPC helmsman commended the Governor for his achievement so far on the area of infrastructures and Agriculture. According to him “ what u are doing, u are lying a foundation for us and that foundation we promise that with people like you in power God Almighty will continue to use you to encourage us to do better”.
In his response, Governor Martins Elechi, commended NCPC boss for his Commitment towards Christian Pilgrimage. According to him “only people of strong faith like u can go through the hurdles of today to be here”.
He assured the NCPC helmsman that he would continue to support the success of Christian pilgrimage. He added that the local governments are also promoting the course of Christian pilgrimage by sponsoring more Christians in addition to the numbers the state sponsor.
His Excellency equally promised to join the president to the Holy land for this year’s pilgrimage. In his words “we will accompany the President to the Holy land by the grace of God we shall be there”.
The Governor was supported at the NCPC sensitization visit to his office by the Deputy Governor, Chief Dave Umahi and members of the State Executive Council.
