President Jonathan To Depart For Pilgrimage To Israel This Week

The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Kennedy Opara at the weekend announced that President Goodluck Jonathan will this week depart Nigeria for Israel with 19 state governors and some cabinet members as part of the 2013 Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

President Jonathan who flagged off the 2013 pilgrimage to the Holy land in Abuja on Saturday night also evaluated the history of pilgrimage in Nigeria and submitted that the hitherto spiritual exercise had lost its real essence, saying many Nigerians saw it as a leeway to engage in commercial activities.

He lamented that even at a time when Nigerians were supposed to draw closer to God, they had continued to negate the spiritual essence of the trip, urging Nigerians to use pilgrimages as avenues to seek divine intervention in the affairs of the country.

“In recent times, pilgrimage has lost its essence because many people have commercialised it. The current situation in the country demands that we all join hands to fight terrorism. We must not allow terrorism to derail us from delivering the dividends of democracy.

“We are fighting a serious battle but we are not alone. Christ is with us and so we must put on the whole armour of faith,” he said.

The president was represented by Senate President, David Mark at the event. President Jonathan is the first sitting Nigerian leader to embark on the Christian pilgrimage.

President Jonathan is also expected to sign a Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA), with Israeli authorities while in the Holy land.