Intending pilgrims should be prepared to fend for themselves as the Federal Government moves to stop funding pilgrimage.
President Goodluck Jonathan gave the indication at the State House, Abuja on Wednesday while inaugurating members of the Federal Government’s delegation to the 2011 Christian Pilgrimage.
The 11-man committee has the President, Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, as its Chairman and Pastor Israel Abba as Secretary.
Jonathan observed that the population of Christian pilgrims had tripled since his election, attributing the development to the advocacy work of the National Christian Pilgrims Commission.
He said with the increasing population, it would get to a point the operation would become self-funding and government would no longer need to spend money.
The President, who said he inherited the system of inaugurating ad-hoc committees for the exercise annually, added that he changed the system because it lacked continuity and institutional memory.
He said, “When we came on board, we brought a bit of change in the system. Before we came on board, it has been ad-hoc committees being established every year.
“In that kind of arrangement, there is no continuity and institutional memory. That was why we decided to have a delegation that will be led by CAN President every year.
“By so doing, they will be learning from past mistakes.”
Jonathan said the decision was based on the need for an independent government body to advise the President to instruct the pilgrims commission to do what was right in case the members decided to look the other way when things go wrong.
The President said the step had started yielding results because no adverse case had been recorded during the 2010 pilgrimage.
He added that the days of pilgrims absconding in the Holy Land in the past had become a thing of the past.
Jonathan described pilgrimage as a serious business to be taken seriously, urging members of the delegation to put in their best.
Promising to do a thorough job, Oritsejafor said the assignment given to members of the delegation came with a great responsibility that must be discharged well.
“We shall be careful to discharge the responsibility and make the needed input to make the pilgrimage worthwhile,” he added.
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