Pilgrimage: Jonathan, 19 govs,ministers to storm Israel
Commission (NCPC), Kennedy Opara at the weekend
announced that President Goodluck Jonathan will this week
depart Nigeria for Israel with 19 state governors and some
cabinet members as part of the 2013 Christian pilgrimage to
the Holy Land.
President Jonathan who flagged off the 2013 pilgrimage to
the Holy land in Abuja on Saturday night also evaluated the
history of pilgrimage in Nigeria and submitted that the
hitherto spiritual exercise had lost its real essence, saying
many Nigerians saw it as a leeway to engage in commercial
activities.
He lamented that even at a time when Nigerians were
supposed to draw closer to God, they had continued to
negate the spiritual essence of the trip, urging Nigerians to
use pilgrimages as avenues to seek divine intervention in the
affairs of the country.
"In recent times, pilgrimage has lost its essence because
many people have commercialised it. The current situation in
the country demands that we all join hands to fight
terrorism. We must not allow terrorism to derail us from
delivering the dividends of democracy.
"We are fighting a serious battle but we are not alone.
Christ is with us and so we must put on the whole armour of
faith," he said.
The president was represented by Senate President, David
Mark at the event. President Jonathan is the first sitting
Nigerian leader to embark on the Christian pilgrimage.
President Jonathan is also expected to sign a Bilateral Air
Services Agreement (BASA), with Israeli authorities while in
the Holy land.
Source:sunnews
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