President Muhammadu Buhari is set to stop the Federal government from sponsoring pilgrims to Israel and Saudi Arabia.
The Federal Government's decision to end the sponsorship was revealed in Abuja by Mr John-Kennedy Opara, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC).
Making this known on Monday while briefing State House correspondents shortly after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari on the activities of the commission, Opara said the President will continue however, to encourage the Commission.
The removal of government sponsorship means pilgrims will now have to sponsor themselves on the holy trips while encouraging the two religious bodies to become self-sustaining.
“I came as invited by the President to brief him on the activities of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission. Earlier my colleague, the chairman of the Hajj commission had come to brief him" Opara said.
“The President was very happy with the commission; he said ‘you have done very well, the commission has done very well and as far as we are concerned, we need to support the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission as well as the Hajj commission"
For this year's pilgrimage, a concessional exchange rate or one dollar to N160 has been approved
Opara further added that the move was made “So that the Federal and State Governments will spend the necessary resources on other things while the pilgrimage itself will be self-funding as we progress and as time goes on.”
He said the commission would continue to encourage self-sponsorship of pilgrimage in view of the dwindling resources across the three tiers of government.
Opara urged individuals to participate in the commission’s pilgrimage lottery to enable them to perform the pilgrimage, while lauding wealthy and well-meaning individuals and organisations to assist in the sponsorship of pilgrims.
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