By Ezekiel Dontinna
The first batch of Plateau State intending Christians Pilgrims, have concluded arrangements from Jos to Abuja for holy pilgrimage to the land Israel and Jordan by tomorrow.
The Executive Secretary, Plateau State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Rev. Wanson Yusufu Bagu, disclosed this shortly after the farewell ceremony of spill over 2024 to 2025 pilgrimage, held at the COCIN Headquarters Jos, Monday.
The Executive Secretary assured that, based on the conclusive arrangement now, they were so confident and sure that people that would be lifted for the first batch would be not less than 255 pilgrims.
While responding to questions fielded by Journalists on the safety of pilgrims in the face of Middle East crisis, he said, “it is obvious that in the Middle East there has been crisis for over years.
“It’s not a new phenomenon, but as per last year, if you were aware of our appropriation, we initially had the plan to leave our programs for Easter pilgrimage, which would have been taking place between April and June.
“But we suspended it because this insecurity there was very tense, and as per October, November, everything was becoming calm.We receive assurance that there are some measures that will curtail possible challenges, and that is why we quickly swing into action”, he explained.
Bagu, however, noted that no nation would want to risk its citizens and exposed them to great challenges of insecurity and that, the second trip has returned yesterday successfully.
The ES explained further that, the first trip was from Lagos last year, December 22nd and came back January 2nd as it was followed by FCT who came back yesterday Sunday, with some arriving in Nigeria today Monday saying, “Our own will also take off tomorrow. So the security there is minimal, it’s minimal”.
Reacting to the assurance given to the people of Plateau State by Governor about take off directly from Jos, the Executive Secretary said, “I feel very happy, very excited to hear this coming from his Excellency.
“I want to believe that in his capacity as a Governor, he cannot just make a public statement like this without having plans on ground to achieve them. It will look like embarrassing himself.
“So I’m so confident that he’s a working government. He will work it out and i’m so so happy. I will be the happiest person to be in the office to see that pilgrims are lifted on Plateau State”, he prayed.
Rev. Wanson Yusufu Bagu, therefore, called on the people to exercise patience because everybody has the potential to improve where he believed he has failed and as humans beings, they have observed the challenges.
“I want to tell the people of Plateau State that they should believe in us, believe in the government, and believe that we are capable to adjust to improve in order to serve them better”, he encouraged.
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