The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) says no fewer than 300 intending Christian pilgrims from Cross River, Ondo and Ebonyi have taken off from the Victor Attah International Airport to Israel and Jordan.

The Executive Secretary of NCPC, Rev. Yakubu Pam, while addressing the intending pilgrims on Friday night cautioned them against absconding during pilgrimage.

Pam warned that any offender would be made to face the wrath of the law through imprisonment, including the guarantor.

He said that the pilgrims should consider the journey as purely spiritual so that they would go there and pray for the unity of the country.

He further admonished the intending pilgrims to be good ambassadors of Nigeria and conduct themselves decently while on the pilgrimage.

He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for creating the enabling environment for NCPC to take the pilgrims to the Holy lands.

“It is my singular joy and happiness to stand here to appreciate the distinguished states, particularly Cross River, who put a reasonable number of intending Pilgrims that are traveling out.

“I’m also here to appreciate the governors of the south-south, this time around from the numbers of states that have paid for pilgrims to travel from the south-south, I am proud of the south-south as a zone.

“The Commission has been given the power to exploit various areas at geographical biblical places in the Bible for Nigerian Christians to witness what they have been reading in the Bible physically.

“I believe this is nothing to regret but rather to say that God is using our governors to advance the gospel of the kingdom,” he said.

The NCPC boss noted that Nigeria was going into election, a critical moment for the country, as it was about its survival and continuity as a sovereign nation.

”This is the moment we need to go and pray, knock at heavens and the moment we need to tell God that this country will never be down rather this election will prove the time to rise to make our children and next generation to believe in us.

“We will continue to do our normal duty by making sure that pilgrims move from now up to when the election will take place and the purpose of it all more is praying for the country,” Pam said.

One of the intending pilgrims from Ondo, Rev. Raphael Agbola said his intention was to pray for the betterment of the nation.

Agbola urged Nigerians to live a good life, put their trust in God and follow His commandments to achieve great results for the growth of the country. (THISDAY)

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