By Sarah NEGEDU
Inspite of the controversy that trailed the All Progressives Congress, APC, Muslim-Muslim ticket during the 2023 presidential election, the decision is said to have made more impact on Nigerians than any joint ticket in the history of the country’s democracy.
The Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission, NCPC, claims that President Bola Tinubu has proven to be a tolerant leader who has ensured equity, justice, and fairness between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria.
Executive Secretary of the commission, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, made the assertion during an end of pilgrimage ceremony in Bethlehem.
He maintained that the president was not a religious bigot as whatever he has done for the Muslims, he has also done for the Christians.
“Mr. President is not a religious bigot. Whatever he had done for the Muslims, he will do for the Christians. That’s exactly what he has done. He gave to Muslims to support pilgrimage, he has given to Christians to support pilgrimage.
“You know initially when we were campaigning for Tinubu to become President, a lot of people wanted to crucify us because of the Muslim-Muslim ticket. And I told them I know Tinubu will deliver Nigeria. Well, you can see the result of Muslim-Muslim tickets”
“What Mr. President has done for the Christian community in Nigeria, no other Present has done before.”
Adegbite further disclosed that President Tinubu’s government has provided significant financial support for Christian pilgrimages, covering half of the costs for privately sponsored pilgrims and matching state and FCT government contributions.
This support has enabled many Nigerians to embark on pilgrimages to Israel and Jordan.
In spite of complaints of paucity of funds, the NCPC explained the challenges with the Nigerian apex bank, the CBN but noted that it costs an average of N6.8 million to put a pilgrim on the Holy Land and that government was doing so much in this regard.
He, therefore, charged the pilgrims not to look at the inconveniences or the challenge of money as that was not the main reason for being in the Holy Land. “What you have come to gain is the spirituality that you cannot quantify with money.”
Speaking on the side lines of the occasion, Adegbite assured that the NCPC was committed to improving the standard of pilgrimage in spite of the challenges associated with it.
“The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement, we will continue to improve to serve Nigeria better and we have decided in the Commission that people must be satisfied, so satisfaction is our watch word, the pilgrims, the ground handlers, the air carriers, the Commission and all stakeholders, that is the assignment Mr. President has given to us that we must not go for anything less than the best.”
Adegbite, assured that the exercise, the 2023 – 2024 Christian pilgrimage which is taking place in 2025 would continue till May, 2025. It was put on hold because of the conflict that broke out at the time.
