The Senate committee members on Federal Character and Inter-governmental Affairs have commended the Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) for the good handling of Christian pilgrimage in Nigeria. They made this commendation recently, during an oversight visit to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. The distinguished senators were led by the chairman of the committee, Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta, who commended NCPC for the peaceful coexistence it has with the sister agency,the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria. He said this should be encouraged and sustained, considering the fact that the country was in dire need of religious tolerance.

Kuta further stated that the members of the committee placed high premium on the welfare of the pilgrims and were delighted that the commission had gone the extra mile to ensure that the welfare of the pilgrims was paramount.

He commended the NCPC boss for his initiative in making sure that the commission had a good edifice of its own for effective service delivery for the pilgrims. His words: “The initiative you have taken to have this building is commendable.”

He promised that the committee would do everything feasible to assist the NCPC in terms of funding whenever the need arose.

He advised intending pilgrims never to cash in on the opportunity provided by the pilgrimage exercise and hide under religion to abscond, because, according to him, “this country belongs to all of us.”

In his own comment, one of the distinguished senators in the committee, also commended the NCPC for the visible transformations on ground. His words: “This commission has taken a long step of transformation”. He further stated: “I believe that, here, we are strangers, the ultimate is heaven, I want to say that the good Lord will help you, and your work will be registered in heaven.”

The senators commended the strong team of NCPC and urged them to continue to work in the harmony in order to move the commission forward.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the NCPC, Mr. John Kennedy Opara, thanked his distinguished guests for their visit.

Mr. Opara explained that the NCPC was set up by the Federal Government in 2007 by the Act of the National Assembly to coordinate all Christian pilgrimage activities in Nigeria and that the commission was also empowered by the Act to license, regulate and control private tour operators in the pilgrimage sub-sector. He emphatically explained that government principally established the commission because government was interested in the mass movement of pilgrims to the Holy Land.

He also expatiated that the commission usually holds meetings from time to time with church leaders and stakeholders to brainstorm on salient issues bothering pilgrimage activities.

He also told the distinguished senators that NCPC has the mandate of the Israeli authorities to screen pilgrims on their behalf because of the confidence they have in the commission.

Mr. Opara averred that the security and checks put in place by the commission, effectively checked and reduced abscondment level to a zero level.”

He explained that the commission worked closely with the state governments in the mobilisation of intending pilgrims to the Holy Land.

The NCPC helmsman affirmed that the stand of the commission was that “pilgrimage should serve as a tool for moral rebirth”. He explained that prior to having its own corporate building; the commission was housed by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria for two years without paying rent. He further explained that the NCPC building has a conference room with about 250 seating capacity. Opara stated that the commission’s presence was already being felt in the states. Thus, he said, “today, we can boast of six zonal offices in Enugu, Lagos, Yola, Makurdi, Bayelsa and Kaduna.

He further informed the Senate committee members that the commission was able to set up a solid medical team to continue to check the health of the pilgrims.

Members of the committee also inspected facilities at the NCPC headquarters and addressed some newly recruited staff of the commission.

Other members of the Senate committee that visited the NCPC included Senator Babajide Omoworare, who is the vice chairman of the committee, Senator Obende Gbenga Ashafa, Senator Domingo and Senator Nagogo.