President Bola Tinubu has officially launched the 2024 main Christian pilgrimage to Israel and Jordan with the first batch of 260 intending pilgrims from Lagos State and 350 officials are lifted
The airlift of pilgrims was flagged off on Sunday at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos State.
The Deputy Director and Head of Media and Public Relations, Celestine Toruka, and published on the Commission’s official X handle, #NGChrisPilgComm, on Monday.
Toruka who said the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, represented Tinubu at the occasion, told the pilgrims that their journey was an opportunity to strengthen their faith in God.
Tinubu said the theme of the 2024 pilgrimage, “Pilgrimage of Renewed Hope for Total Restoration,” aligns with the vision and agenda of his administration.
He warned pilgrims not to abscond while in the Holy Land, adding that there is no better place than home just as he encouraged them to pray for Lagos State and Nigeria at large.
The statement read, “The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu @officialABAT, flagged off the 2024 main Christian pilgrimage exercise to Israel and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on 22nd December 2024 at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the NCPC, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, said this would be his first as the fourth substantive Secretary of the Commission.
Adegbite said despite the challenges, the Commission was committed to ensuring smooth conduct of pilgrimages to holy sites worldwide in line with the NCPC 2007 enabling
Act of the National Assembly.
He urged the intending pilgrims to display exemplary behaviour during the pilgrimage, describing it as a time for humility, piety, and decorum. He also assured them of excellent services provided by the Commission’s service providers.
“The Commission under my watch seriously frowns upon absconding, and whoever is found culpable will face the consequences, including their guarantors, whose names, along with those of the absconders, will be blacklisted and published in national newspapers.’
