The Nasarawa State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board (NCPWB) on Thursday said that the state government had paid N67 million to 100 Christians from the state for the 2017 pilgrimage.
Mr Musa Aloko, the Executive Secretary of the Board, made this known at a news conference on the readiness of Nasarawa State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board for the 2017 Christians pilgrimage.
Aloko thanked Gov. Tanko Al-makura for the prompt payment of the pilgrim’s fares, adding that it would go a long way in promoting religious activities as well as peace in the state.
He said that the five pilgrims, who paid for last year pilgrimage but could not perform the pilgrimage due to late submission of forms, would be participating in this year’s pilgrimage.
He said this would bring the total pilgrims to 105 as approved by the state government to perform 2017 Christian pilgrimage.
According to him, “our primary mission is to light up the skyline with true testimony of Christ with fundamental objective of bridging religious intolerance in the state.
“ We intend to use pilgrimage as a tool for uniting Nigerians by making impact and content of Christian pilgrimage effective.
“The launching of the 2017 pilgrimage is set for Nov. 19 in Gombe, Gombe State.
“It is the efforts of the Nasarawa State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board that the state pilgrims should be amongst the first three to depart Nigeria’s soil for spiritual diet.
“It is a spiritual blessing to be part of the physical pilgrimage to the biblical sites as it is incumbent for every Nigerian Christian to go on pilgrimage at least once in a life time,” he said.
Aloko promised not to fail in discharging his duties, assuring that he would add value to governance, especially in the area of preaching peaceful co-existence among the people of the state and Nigerians at large.
He urged the people to be law abiding, respect constituted authorities and to live in peace irrespective of ethnic, religious and political affiliation for the overall development of the state.