Egypt waives N19m for Nigerian Xtian pilgrims

Bankole Makinde, Abuja - 08.01.2008

FOLLOWING pro testations by the Federal Government, the Egyptian government has agreed to waive N18million ($153,000) due as sight-seeing costs on the 9,000 intending Christian pilgrims to this year’s holy pilgrimage.

The Egyptian authorities had earlier levied each pilgrim from Nigeria a sum of $17 (N1,840) to climb the Mount Sinai. Chairman, Presidential Committee on Christian Pilgrim Affairs, (CAN), Bishop Ola Makinde, said this in Abuja on Monday at the orientation programme for the 2007 Christian pilgrims.

Dr. Makinde said the departure date for the pilgrims would be announced immediately upon the receipt of the report from officials of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), who were presently determining the air-worthiness of the aircraft to be used for airlifting the pilgrims.

The CAN president, who lamented that some states were yet to remit the fees of their respective pilgrims to the committee, however, expressed happiness that the Federal Government, which had handed off its hands from the issue of sponsorship of both Christian and Muslim pilgrims, had agreed to continue providing consular services free for all pilgrims.

He enjoined Christians pilgrims to seek spiritual rebirth during the exercise and pray for the political stability of the country and for adherent rather than seeing the pilgrimage as a tourism affair. Meanwhile, the Federal Government has vowed to deal with any pilgrim that absconds during the exercise.

Minister of State of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator James John Akpanudoedehe, stated the government’s stand in Abuja during the orientation exercise.