Taraba concludes 2018 Christian pilgrims’ screening

The screening exercise of about 442 intending Christian Pilgrims from Taraba State, for 2018 trip to the holy land, Israel have been conducted. Daily Times gathers that the National Officials of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) conducted the exercise held yesterday at the State Secretariat of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Jalingo. Addressing newsmen during the Exercise, the Executive Secretary, Taraba State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Mr. Levi Tangla said the exercise was aimed at ensuring that intending Pilgrims are those who are well behaved, who will not do things that will tarnish the image of Taraba, Nigeria and the Christian faith including those who don’t have health issues. The ES further stated that the major challenge the Board faced was the problem of Private Sponsorship which he explained that, Christians completely relied on Government to sponsor them for the journey. “We have Christians who are well to do, they don’t sponsor themselves, they don’t sponsor the less privileged” “Depending solely on Government is not encouraging”, he said. He emphasized the need for the Christian community in the State to begin to complement the efforts of the State Government with a view to saving money to help them sponsor themselves or the less privileged. Also speaking, the Executive Chairman, State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Rev. Isaiah Jirapye Magaji said over 99.9% of the intending Pilgrims from the State were under the sponsorship of the State Government. The Chairman disclosed that the State Government sponsored about 361 people while the Local Governments sponsored about 81 people. Praying for the State Governor, Darius Dickson Ishaku therefore, Rev. Magaji called on the Almighty God to grant him success in the 2019 elections to enable him complete the good work he has started in the State. In his remarks, the Head of the Media Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Abuja, Celestine Toruka said, one of the vital documents NCPC required from the intending Pilgrims was a genuine International Passport. He described the Exercise as successful but remarked that the only issue was the under aged, people below the age of thirty who wanted to make the journey. While frowning at a 62 year old man who was alleged to have absconded in one the trips, Toruka warned that they shouldn’t think same, saying anybody caught will pay the sum of about N5m. Okerafor Athanatius, Jalingo