The airlift of Christian pilgrims for the 2012 pilgrimage to Israel, Rome and Greece will commence on October 25, the executive secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission, Mr John Kennedy Opara has disclosed.? Opara who disclosed this yesterday said that if the lives of those going on pilgrimage were transformed, it would go a long way in transforming the entire nation.
He said most of those who had travelled before, had been transformed, saying that every Christian should try as much as possible to embark on the religious journey.
Opara said that 1,000 Christian pilgrims from Lagos State would be among the first set to be airlifted in the inaugural flight for the 2012 exercise.
He said that arrangements were at advanced stage to commence the transportation of pilgrims.
The executive secretary said that a team that would comprise officials from the commission and other relevant agencies of government would soon embark on an inspection of aircraft to be used for the exercise.
He said that the commission had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the governments of Greece and Italy to make it easier for Nigerian pilgrims to secure Schengen visas into their countries for the purpose of the pilgrimage.
Opara said that all other arrangements were on course, but lamented the slow response by some states, noting that it could affect the schedule of the commission.
He said that floods in some parts of the country had also slowed the pace of the commission’s operations.
He said that the commission’s officials had not been able to visit states affected by flood due to the damages caused by the floods.
On the implementation of the commission’s budget for the 2012 fiscal year, Opara said that the commission had utilised funds appropriated to it for its capital projects.
He appealed to the committee to consider the commission’s request for additional funding to enable it complete some of its capital projects.
Responding, the Deputy Chairman of the committee, Rep Dahiru Saleh, who led the committee on the oversight, assured the commission of the committee’s support for its programmes and activities.
He said that the National Assembly was ever ready to partner with the executive to implement budgets in the interest of Nigerians.
Also speaking, a member of the committee, Rep. Sekonte Davies, assured the commission that oversight visits by the legislature was not a witch-hunt as insinuated in many quarters.
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