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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Vice President Kashim Shettima has inaugurated the Board of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), which was constituted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on January 4, 2024.
The Board comprises the Chairman, Executive Secretary, six members representing each geopolitical zone, and six ex-officio members representing relevant ministries, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The inauguration ceremony took place on Tuesday at the State House, Abuja.
In his address, Vice President Shettima urged the Board members to collaborate and work as a team to advance Christian pilgrimage in Nigeria. He pledged his support to the Commission in achieving its mandate of facilitating the smooth airlift of Nigerian Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land.
Shettima emphasized the crucial role of faith in fostering national unity and advised the Board members to view their appointments as an opportunity to serve humanity and promote interfaith harmony through dialogue, peace, and love.
“What binds us as a people supersedes what could divide us,” he said. “Once there is equity, fair play, and justice in the board, the entire Christendom would be better for it.”
Board Chairman Rev. Cletus Gotan expressed gratitude to the Vice President for his support and interest in the Commission’s affairs. He highlighted the Board’s composition, emphasizing the selection of individuals with integrity to serve.
“We appreciate the interest of the federal government in sponsoring Christians in their sacred journey to the Holy Land,” Gotan said. He pledged that the Board would leave NCPC in a better state than it found it and assured the Vice President that his assistance would not go unappreciated.
NCPC Executive Secretary Bishop Stephen Adegbite expressed appreciation for the Vice President’s support since the Board’s inception. He affirmed that with the support of the President and Vice President, the Board would provide Nigerians with a memorable pilgrimage experience. “We won’t disappoint God, neither will we disappoint you,” he pledged.
