NCPC to generate fund to build Christian Pilgrims Preparative Centre

Tom Okpe, Abuja

The Executive Secretary, Nigeria Christians Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Uja Tor Uja, has revealed that the Commission will generate funds, assisted by the Federal Government to build a Pilgrims’ Preparative Ground.

He said it will be a preparative ground for Christian pilgrimage and also an organisation where potentials, capacity, indexes and the future of our great nation, Nigeria will be exposed.

Rev. Uja spoke in Abuja on Thursday while addressing journalists at the preparatory complex site at the Central Business District Area in Abuja during a prayer section to dedicate the land and the proposed building to God.

The building which is for the development of Christian religion in Nigeria will accommodate Auditorium, Resource Centre, Clinics, Health Care and Children Centres and accommodation including guest house.

He said: “We want a situation where leaders and all pilgrims can come to this place and find better understanding of Christianity and all the things that we do and of the development processes that this nation must go through to become what God has destined it to be.

“We believe this dream because we know that God has a big project to accomplish with Nigeria and the beginning point of any process that would rule the world is the spiritual and the spiritual ones will possess their possession in Christ Jesus.

“We want that in our pilgrimage programme, Nigeria would be a focus. That’s why our creed is proclaiming Christ, serving Nigeria.

“We believe that the few people that go on pilgrimage are enough army to fight the battles of democracy of this country and to project the advancement of the gospel in this generation ànd this is the reason we are here”.

The prayer session was attended by all Christian pilgrimage leaders from the 36 states of the federation and Abuja including the board members from the six geo-political zones.

“We have come together to stand as a team to make pronouncement and dedicate the ground and to also announce that in two years’ time, this project will not only be completed but it will be occupied”.

The Executive Secretary thanked God, commending the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari for releasing the sum of N559 million in the 2018 budget saying, “We know that we are not going to depend only on the government for this project.

“We are generating funds from Christian leaders, churches, Christian business men and those who believe in the vision of eternity and what pilgrimage can accomplish for this nation.

We believe we shall receive donations of money, materials of goodwill and even of ideas and what we have put on paper we believe is achievable in two years’ time.

“This is a camp that belongs to all Christians irrespective of denomination, location and affiliation.

There would be no discrimination. We have set up plans to tackle and cancel denominational barriers, eliminate doctrinal separation and put aside tribal or regional issues and Christ alone will be the instrument so, it belongs to all Christians of all denominations and to be managed by NCPC for all Christians across the country.

“Any Christian group or church can make use of the facility and it would be free for everyone but in the cause of doing the work, we would be bringing together denominational leaders, church groups, spiritual leaders to interact and sit together to build bounds of fellowship and remove barriers that have separated the people for so long.

“We believe that in a very short while, we will come here for the ground breaking when we would be laying the foundation stone and in two years’ time, we shall come back to dedicate this project to the Glory of God”, he stated.

The land situated between the Akwa- Ibom House and the Shehu Shagari Expressway to the Federal Secretariat is 60 by 80 meters, however, 1/3rd of it has been overtaken by a major sewage that runs through the property.

The second phase is the Pilgrim Camp along the airport road which Uja noted will be attended to once “we are done with this one”.

On the Easter pilgrimage, he maintained that it will commence on the 15th of April and will run in phases.

He urge States and individuals to begin to prepare by paying and undergo screening early enough revealing that “the government of Israel has given us a double commendation in effective organisation, absconding containment, and financial management of all that matters”.