NCPC BOSS CHARGES INTENDING PILGRIMS TO BE GOOD AMBASSADORS OF CHRIST AND NIGERIA

NCPC BOSS CHARGES INTENDING PILGRIMS TO BE GOOD AMBASSADORS OF CHRIST AND NIGERIA

Mr Okpara

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Mr. John Kennedy Opara has charged intending Pilgrims from Niger and Nasarawa States to be good Ambassadors of Christ and Nigeria while in the Holy Land. Mr. Opara gave this charge recently at the Local Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport through his representative, Mr Simeon Gana, the Director of Administration of NCPC during the airlift of intending pilgrims from Niger and Nasarawa states to Israel for this year’s Pilgrimage exercise.
Mr. Opara advised the intending Pilgrims to conduct themselves decently while in Israel, because according to him, “as soon as you are out of this country, you are Ambassadors of Nigeria”. He further stressed, “You are representatives of our Lord Jesus Christ and Ambassadors of Nigeria”.
The NCPC helmsman also admonished the intending pilgrims to ensure that they guard their travel documents jealously while in Israel, eat moderately, obey table manners and abide by the Israeli laws.
Three members of the Federal Government Delegation were also at the Airport to observe the procedures for the airlift and they all took turns to address the intending pilgrims
In his own remarks, the Chaplain of Aso Villa Chapel, Venerable Obioma Onwuzurumba stressed the need for the intending pilgrims to be good Christians that their States and the Nation would be proud of.
He charged them to work with their heads high while in Israel and not to be timid. He thus wished them well and prayed that they would go in good health and come back in like manner.
In his own remarks, Prof. Joseph Otubu who is also a member of the Federal Government Delegation for this year’s Pilgrimage averred that “Nigerians are very good people”. He posited that the transformation of one person would lead to the transformation of many others.
According to Prof Otubu, “We need to show good example. As long as we call ourselves Christians, we must be Christ like”, he stressed.
Also speaking at the occasion, Hon. Justice Afolabi Fabiyi advised the intending pilgrims to ensure that they keep the laws of their host country and desist from anything that would tarnish the image of their families and the entire nation. The Supreme Court Judge further admonished them to make up their minds and convince themselves that they would not abscond in Israel.
The NCPC Head of Operations, Mr. Henry Chukwuma Ezike led the representatives of the Executive Secretary, Mr. Simeon Gana and the three members of the Federal Government Delegation on inspection of the airlift operations. He conducted them round the immigration, Security and screening points in order to expose them to the nitty-gritty of airlift operations of intending pilgrims at the airport.
About 110 intending Pilgrims from Niger and 195 from Nasarawa were airlifted during the operation at the local wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe, Airport, last night.