Press Releases

Fashola Reiterates Call For Decentralisation Of Christian Pilgrims Operations

Aug 3, 2009 - Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Monday reiterated his call for a decentralization of the functions of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission to enable the government at the centre solely concentrate on issuance of Passports and Consular matters.

Governor Fashola who spoke through his Deputy, Princess Sarah Adebisi Sosan during a visit by the members of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission to the Lagos House, Ikeja added that the State should be allowed to handle other issues such as the airlift and welfare of the pilgrims because they are better suited to handle it.

Governor Fashola added that the State would also appreciate if efforts are concretized by the national body to ensure that the airlift operations is concluded within a particular year and not allowed to overlap into the following year.

The Governor also made a case for due consideration to be given to the weather condition in Isreal, adding that several times many Nigerian pilgrims have had to contend with very harsh cold winter period which has made the pilgrimage very uncomfortable for many.

He added that Lagos did not have a very pleasant experience during the last exercise as its pilgrims had to be spread over six batches for a total number that should have been conveyed in one or two swoop if very big aircrafts had been used.

Governor Fashola commended the commission for its efforts so far and pledged that the State Government would do everything possible to ensure that everything works well with subsequent pilgrimages.

He thanked religious leaders for their continued prayers for leaders, saying the prayers have been a source of strength to the administration in fulfilling its various electoral promises to the people.

Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Commission, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh had expressed gratitude to the Governor for the good work he is doing in Lagos, adding that as someone who has once lived in Lagos, the transformation he has seen is phenomenal.

He added that the national body is impressed by the performance of the State ad-hoc committee on the 2008 Christian Pilgrimage to Isreal, adding that the commission members are already on the field preparing for the next pilgrimage.

Archbishop Okoh explained that the commission intends to ensure that there would be no overlapping in terms of the airlifting of the pilgrims for a particular year into the following year.

He added that plans are afoot by the commission to broaden the scope of the pilgrimage to include visits to Rome to enable the pilgrims have complete spiritual knowledge.

The Deputy Governor later presented a copy of the State 2008 Christian Pilgrimage ad-hoc committee report to Archbishop Okoh.

Archbishop Okoh was accompanied on the visit by Secretary of the Pilgrims Commission, Mr John Oparah and a federal Commissioner in the Commission, Mrs Adefemi Taire.