The Executive Secretary, Plateau Pilgrims Board, Rev. Fr. George Gorap, said the state has recorded the highest number of Christian pilgrims sponsored by the state government in seven years.
Gorap said this during the orientation and farewell of Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land in Jos yesterday.
He said the state occupies a place of pride in the sponsorship of pilgrims in Nigeria, accounting the state government under Governor Simon Lalong of sponsoring 4,570 pilgrims in eight years; a feat no state has achieved.
He said: “It is very obvious that the state government’s effort in relation to sponsorship of pilgrims surpassed all since they came on board in 2015. In 2015, 50 officials were sponsored, 2016 had 100; 2017 had 500; 2018 had 1,700; 2019 a total of 1,200 were sponsored; in 2020 COVID-19 pandemic punctuated the exercise.
“In 2021, 600 were sponsored and in 2022 we will have 420, total number stands at 4,570, which is the highest so far.
“Plateau today occupies a place of pride in the sponsorship of pilgrims, this is not unconnected to the untiring effort and support of the government and this effort is based on its belief and deep faith in God and the need to raise a state with God fearing people.
“This has earned the state an award for the governor as the ‘Pilgrimage-Friendly Governor’ and has given the state a position on the decision making table of pilgrimage activities in Nigeria.”
Gorap urged the intending pilgrims to conduct themselves in a decent manner while in the Holy Land and peacefully return home at the end of the pilgrimage.
He warned that no intending pilgrim should be under an illusion to use the pilgrimage as a gateway to sneak away into other foreign countries, stating that doing such will put their guarantors in jeopardy and when caught made to face the law.
Gorap enjoined them to be good ambassadors of Nigeria and pray for the peace and unity of the nation.
Governor Simon Lalong said pilgrimage was a way to reaffirm the faith of Christians and rejuvenate our connection with God.
He urged the pilgrims to bring back experiences that would widen their horizon to the truth of the Word of God and the universality of his love.
Lalong revealed that the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) has put in place stringent measures to check unwholesome conduct, such as absconding by some pilgrims who use the exercise as a cover for irregular migration.
He warned that any intending pilgrim caught trying to abscond would be made to face the full wrath of the law as they would not allow those who attempt to bring the name of Plateau and Nigeria to disrepute.
He commended those on self-sponsorship for devoting their resources for the spiritual exercise as the government cannot always bear the huge burden of sponsoring pilgrims due to the present economic situation.
He encouraged intending pilgrims to save for the spiritual experience and urged the privileged to sponsor others as the state Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board has created avenues and products that would make it easy for self-sponsorship and other forms of assistance to intending pilgrims.
The state Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mrs Kaneng Pam-Hworo, also enjoined the intending pilgrims to use the pilgrimage as an avenue to sell Nigeria positively to other nations.