By Sarah NEGEDU
Minister of State for the FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, who gave the warning on Monday in Abuja during a pre-departure orientation programme for 142 pilgrims, added that the government will not condone any act capable of tarnishing Nigeria’s image abroad.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration has cautioned intending Christian pilgrims against absconding during their trip to the Holy Lands of Israel and Jordan, warning that government will not hesitate to sanction abscondees and hold their guarantors accountable.
According to her, the disclosed the administration has instituted strict measures to ensure that no pilgrim absconds while abroad.
“For some of you who might be contemplating to abscond or indulge in any acts that are inimical to the name of our dear country, you should have a rethink because this will not be accepted at any rate. The federal government of Nigeria has put in effective proactive machinery to counter such effort,” Mahmoud cautioned.
The minister reminded the pilgrims that they were embarking on a spiritual journey and should conduct themselves as good ambassadors of Nigeria.
“The occasion of this pre-departure orientation programme is a demonstration of the government’s commitment to the spiritual wellbeing of the people. I sincerely hope that this pilgrimage will provide you with unique and rewarding encounters as we await your safe return back home,” she said.
Mahmoud described pilgrimage as a spiritually enriching exercise that offers immeasurable blessings, noting that the recent delay in this year’s exercise was due to geopolitical challenges in the Middle East. She reaffirmed the FCT Administration’s commitment, under the leadership of Minister Nyesom Wike, to safeguarding the welfare of all pilgrims.
She also commended the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission, NCPC, for coordinating pilgrimages nationwide and pledged continued collaboration to ensure successful trips in future.
Meanwhile, Acting Director of the FCT Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Gloria Dandam, stressed that while the territory has for years maintained a clean record with no cases of abscondment, guarantors of any pilgrim who attempts it would be arrested and prosecuted.
“Right now, in FCT alone, we have 142 pilgrims that have paid to take off, but we have other states joining us. Your guarantors were made to fill the forms so that if you don’t come back, we’ll know who to hold. If you don’t come back, we hold the person to ransom, we can take him to court, and charge him, because he has signed for somebody who absconded,” she said.
Dandam also reminded the pilgrims that pilgrimage was not a tourist trip but a sacred journey of renewal, reflection, and redemption.
“As pilgrims, you are not just visiting historical landmarks; you are on a journey of renewal, reflection, and redemption. You will have the opportunity to seek God’s blessings and pray for peace in our homes, country, and the world. I urge you all to support and encourage one another throughout the journey. Pilgrimage is not only an individual pursuit but a collective one,” she told the gathering.
