The acting Director of the FCT Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Mrs. Rahila Isa-Baita and the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission, NCPC, have adopted screening tactics to reduce abscondment in the holy land.
Mrs. Isa-Baita made this known while answering questions in an interview with journalists in Abuja.
Isa-Baita explained that to this end they implored both investigative and interrogative measures in the screening.
According to her, about 230 intending pilgrims were screened, but only 207 were successful.
“We screened about 220, 197 were successful, we still screened additional 10, in all about 207 were successful. The NCPC screen by sight or by form to know if the person is really interested in the pilgrimage or want to abscond. They look at the church he is going, if he is a Church goer or not, and also look at the family. From there to Europe is easy” She added.
‘Since I assumed office I had not rested, most people are well to do, because they can leave their busineses and abscond, for Civil servants, we will look at the person sponsoring you”, Mrs. Isa-Baita stated.
Speaking on penalties, she said it is not only the abscondees that are punished, adding that the sponsors are also charged seven million naira.
“There are penalties on the abscondees and their sponsors. As for the abscondees, when you are caught we deport them back to Nigeria and inform the necessary agencies to pick them up at the airport”.
She further appreciated the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike for all the support during the screening and sensitisation.
“FCT minister has been so good to us, all what we requested for the screening and sensitization and sponsor us to carry out pilgrims” Mrs. Isa-Baita
The acting director therefore appealed to wealthy Nigerians to assist in sponsoring christians to perform their spiritual obligations.
“I appeal to the well to do to sponsor other individuals.’ pilgrimage is a personal thing, because it is a spiritual thing. For instance, Muslims will take one year to save to go to hajj, as Christians we can also do the same, if we are really proud of our religion. Even some wealthy Muslims also sponsor some of them” she emphasized.
“This year’s pilgrimage is a spill over of last year, we have already arranged everything, we are going to Rome, Israel and Jordan” she added.
Mrs. Isa-Baita explained that the Executive Secretary of the NCPC and his team went to Israel last two weeks, and all is set for a hitch free exercise.
“So we are convinced that there is no problem on the Holy sites in Israel” she noted.
By Georgina Humphrey, Edited By Grace Namiji
Top popular
Post comments (0)