Rev. Yakubu Pam, the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), says the ongoing crisis in Gaza is part of reasons why pilgrims from Nigeria will not go to Isreal but the Kingdom of Jordan to perform this year’s pilgrimage.
Mr Ayuba Pam, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the executive secretary, had affirmed this in a statement recently.
Pam said that the Executive Secretary offered the explanation on during a live NTA programme in Jos.
The media said that NCPC boss said that the insistence by the Israeli Government that pilgrims must take their own version of COVID-19 vaccines was another reason for the Jordan pilgrimage.
He said Pam added that Jordan also has over 100 holy sites for pilgrims to visit, insisting it will not change the purpose of the spiritual exercise.
“Jordan has many holy sites just like Israel. There are more than 100 holy sites all over the world and by the mandate given to the Commission by the 2007 Act of Parliament that Established it pilgrims can visit all these sites.
“But the decision to embark on the Jordan pilgrimage was due to Israel’s insistence on Nigeria to accept her version of the COVID-19 vaccination.
“Also, the war in Gaza which will provide security challenges to pilgrims is another key reason.
“The purpose of pilgrimage is to invoke the spirit of God upon Nigeria and the people, and not a mere tourism,” Pam said.
On why pilgrims would be airlifted from Jos and not Abuja, he said that the decision was aimed at reducing the hardships faced by pilgrims in the past.
“The airlift of Christian pilgrims from Jos to Jordan is going to reduce the hardship being faced by pilgrims in past, who had to travel under severe risks to Abuja.
“The challenge faced by pilgrims during such operations travelling from far distances to Abuja is exposing them to dangers of insecurity and health challenges,” Pam explained.
The executive secretary thanked the Plateau Government for supporting the commission by ensuring its plan to move pilgrims directly from Jos to Jordan becomes a reality.
The media said that NCPC boss said that the insistence by the Israeli Government that pilgrims must take their own version of COVID-19 vaccines was another reason for the Jordan pilgrimage.
He said Pam added that Jordan also has over 100 holy sites for pilgrims to visit, insisting it will not change the purpose of the spiritual exercise.
“Jordan has many holy sites just like Israel. There are more than 100 holy sites all over the world and by the mandate given to the Commission by the 2007 Act of Paliarment that Established it pilgrims can visit all these sites.
“But the decision to embark on the Jordan pilgrimage was due to Israel’s insistence on Nigeria to accept her version of the COVID-19 vaccination.
“Also, the war in Gaza which will provide security challenges to pilgrims is another key reason.
“The purpose of pilgrimage is to invoke the spirit of God upon Nigeria and the people, and not a mere tourism,” Pam said.
On why pilgrims would be airlifted from Jos and not Abuja, he said that the decision was aimed at reducing the hardships faced by pilgrims in the past.
“The airlift of Christian pilgrims from Jos to Jordan is going to reduce the hardship being faced by pilgrims in past, who had to travel under severe risks to Abuja.
“The challenge faced by pilgrims during such operations travelling from far distances to Abuja is exposing them to dangers of insecurity and health challenges,” Pam explained.
The executive secretary thanked the Plateau Goverment for supporting the commission by ensuring its plan to move pilgrims directly from Jos to Jordan becomes a reality.
In a similar vein the Federal Government of Nigeria has confirmed its adoption of the Kingdom of Jordan as a new permanent Christian pilgrimage destination, noting that the shift was meant to boost relationship with the Arab nation.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission, Reverend Yakubu Pam, disclosed this during a meeting with the Jordanian Minister of Tourism and Antiques, Mr Nayef Alfayez.
Shortly after the meeting, a statement by the NCPC confirmed Pam as saying that the new pilgrimage policy would also focus on improving diplomatic relations with the Middle-East country in the areas of peace, tourism, agriculture and technology.
“The commission in the past had three pilgrimage destinations which are: Israel, Rome and Greece. But now Jordan has been officially added to our pilgrimage destinations,” he said.
Speaking also, the Jordanian Minister, Alfayez, commended the federal government for considering and adding the holy sites in Jordan as viable pilgrimage destinations.
Alfayez explained that the peaceful co-existence between the Christians and the Muslims was the greatest value Jordan cherished as an Islamic nation.
In a remark, the Nigerian Ambassador to Jordan, Mr Faruk Yabo, solicited for more cooperation in the area of visa procurement to enable more Nigerians have the opportunity to visit Jordan so as to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
Nigerian Pilgrims on Mount Nebo in Jordan
Meanwhile, the first set of Nigerian Christian pilgrims have landed in Jordan for their visit with a Jordanian airline carrying 267 tourists who came to the Kingdom for religious tourism, with the support of the Ministry of Tourism and the Jordan Tourism Board, quoting Petra, the Jordan News Agency.
The ministry said that the religious trip to the Kingdom is of great importance, as it is accompanied by the official envoy of the Nigerian president, head of the Evangelical Church and the Nigerian Christian Pilgrimage head and his assistants.
Tourism Minister Nayef Fayez pointed out that Jordan is one of the most prominent religious tourism destinations in the world, due to its religious and cultural diversity and values of tolerance and coexistence.
He indicated that Jordan views Christianity and other religions through the lens of the Amman Message, which emphasises moderation and tolerance.
The minister added that the Nigerian tourists’ trips to Jordan will focus on the Christian sites in the Kingdom.
He also indicated that these trips signal the beginning of the gradual return to the tourism, pointing out that Jordan has an opportunity to attract tourists from Nigeria for the purpose of medical tourism as well.
The stay of Nigerian tourists expands over eight days and their accommodations will be mainly in Amman and the Dead Sea area.
Attracting Nigerian tourists came within the board’s plan for the current year, which focuses on both Islamic and Christian religious tourism.
CEO of Jordan Aviation Zuhair Khashman said that efforts to attract religious tourism to Jordan from Nigeria are among the company’s plans to expand in Africa and East Asia.
He referred to the agreement to bring 5,000 pilgrims from Nigeria between July 24 and September 15.
Khashman said that the second round of Nigerian trips to the Kingdom will start next November, expecting the total number of Nigerian tourists to reach 20,000 throughout the next two years. Khashman expects 250 to 300 tourists per trip.
Thanks for reading this. Please like it, comment and share this story. Also follow Julius Adegunna, and PTL News on our Social Media handles or call 234-8033260387, 8120969883. If you have been blessed by our website, you are free to bless us in return. Reach out to the Publisher for donations and supports. God bless you.
