The executive secretary of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Tor Uja, says the commission will commence the 2018 pilgrimage to Israel on November 24.
Mr Uja made this known on Monday at the Living Faith Church, Goshen City, Keffi, Nassarawa state during the 2018 Training and Orientation for the Federal Medical team selected for the 2018 pilgrimage.
He said the commission had been holding strategic meetings with all stakeholders involved in the Pilgrimage Operations to ensure the 2018 the exercise was hitch free and rewarding.
The NCPC boss said the commission was trying its best to make sure that the cost of Pilgrimage was affordable.
“NCPC is not making profit out of Pilgrimage. N680, 000 is the cost of a pilgrim to Jerusalem, Israel and back. It covers both to and fro airfare, visa processing, all forms of insurance, tour of Holy Sites, hotels accommodation and feeding.
“A second category is for those who want to go to Rome in addition and it goes for N870, 000,” he said.
Mr Uja explained that the federal medical team were selected strictly on merit and did not have to know anybody to help them.
According to him, the team was selected with the blind eyes of justice, but with open eyes of merit.
He urged the team to give maximum medical attention to all pilgrims.
The cleric also emphasised on the need to sustain and improve on the previous pilgrimage records of zero mortality and reduced absconding, in the 2018 pilgrimage.
“The commission was able to achieve this feat because of the improved medical screening put in place by the commission,” he explained.
He congratulated members of the federal medical committee for their well-deserved appointment and described them as “Distinguished Medical Personnel’’ who have served the country in different capacity.
Mr Uja said that the commission was based on two pillars; firstly, its true commitment to Christ and secondly its commitment to Nigeria’s nationality.
“We want the world to know the beauty of Jesus Christ and the salvation of Christ, secondly, the Christian Pilgrimage should be the Nigerian nationality.’’
Earlier, the chairman of the 2018 Pilgrimage federal medical committee, David Atuwo thanked the commission for considering them fit by selecting the team to serve in this capacity.
He explained that the objective of the committee was to ensure zero mortality and reduce morbidity.
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