FAVOUR ISHEMBER, Abuja
Bishop Stephen Adegbite, the Executive Secretary of the National Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, has praised President Bola Tinubu for promoting equality, justice, and fairness between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria.
Speaking at the passing-out ceremony of the 2024/2025 Christian Pilgrims exercise in Bethlehem, Bishop Adegbite noted that President Tinubu’s administration has supported both Muslim and Christian pilgrimages, demonstrating his commitment to religious harmony.
According to Bishop Adegbite, President Tinubu’s government has provided significant financial support for Christian pilgrimages, covering half of the costs for privately sponsored pilgrims and matching state and FCT government contributions.
This support has enabled many Nigerians to embark on pilgrimages to Israel and Jordan.
Bishop Adegbite also commended President Tinubu for releasing 1.8 billion naira to renovate the Ecumenical Center, demonstrating his commitment to supporting the Christian community in Nigeria.
“And we say to people that, Mr. President, does not just have a big heart, but whatever he has done for the Muslim, he will do for the Christians”
And that is exactly what he has done. He gave to Muslims to support pilgrimage. He has given to Christians to support pilgrimage”
“Even if you’re on private sponsorship, if you pay from your pockets, you only pay half of the amount required to be on this journey. And if you are sponsored by governments, it means the government of your state or FCT only pay half. Mr. President, pay the remaining half”
“You know initially when we were campaigning for Tinubu to become Present, a lot of people wanted to crucify us because of the
Muslim-Muslim ticket. And I told them I know Tinubu will deliver Nigeria, Well, you can see the result of Muslim-Muslim tickets”
“What Mr. President has done for the Christian community in Nigeria, no other Present has done before. During the inauguration, I happened to be the chairman of the church service and I spoke to the president, he released 1.8 billion to renovate the Eucunumical Center.
Mr. President, take care of the Christian Association of Nigeria, not only during the festive periods but all the states. We send, rice, we send many things, Cows, so that people will know that Present Tinubu is a leader, not only for Muslims, but also for Christians”.
And he has done it even for this last year that has gone, and he will continue to do it. That is what we know of him in Lagos.
“That is why I believe that he can do it for Nigerians. By the time he’s done, Nigeria will be a giant of Africa. We may be going through some hard times now but it’s for better results. And we are getting there”, the ES said.
The bishop expressed his gratitude to the President and the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for their tireless efforts in promoting religious harmony and supporting Christian pilgrimages.
Also speaking, Ambassador Agatha Nonyelune, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Tel Aviv, praised the 2024/2025 Christian pilgrims for being exemplary ambassadors of Nigeria to Israel and Jordan.
Ambassador Nonyelune commended their outstanding behavior, discipline, and zero absenteeism throughout their pilgrimage.
The Ambassador expressed her gratitude to God for making the pilgrimage possible, despite the challenges posed by the war that started on October 7.
She recalled how the executive secretary had visited Israel in June with a pre-visit team, paving the way for the successful pilgrimage.
Ambassador Nonyelune encouraged the pilgrims to continue praying for Nigeria, emphasizing the need for peace and stability in the country. She also urged them to spread the message of peace and harmony when they return home, highlighting the warm reception they received from the Israeli people.
The Ambassador expressed her pride in the pilgrims’ conduct, saying it reflected positively on Nigeria as a great nation. She encouraged them to maintain their excellent behavior and continue to pray for the peace and prosperity of Nigeria.
In his vote of thanks, Barr Sunny Ebiyaibo, Director of the FCT Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, expressed his gratitude to all stakeholders involved in the successful pilgrimage program.
Explaining why the exercise was delayed, the Director reflected on the state of readiness visit conducted in December 2023, which aimed to assess the situation on the ground and ensure everything was in place for the pilgrimage.
“Initially, the pilgrimage was scheduled to commence in January 2024. However, due to a change in leadership at the Commission, with the new Executive Secretary appointed in January 2024, the program was put on hold’
“This pause allowed the new Executive Secretary to familiarize himself with the pilgrimage processes and procedures”, he said
“Furthermore, funding delays also contributed to the postponement of the pilgrimage. Despite these challenges”, the Director acknowledged the collective efforts that ultimately led to the successful execution of the program.
The passing-out ceremony was attended by various dignitaries, and the event marked the successful completion of the 2024/2025 Christian Pilgrims exercise, with participants praised for their outstanding behavior and discipline during the pilgrimage, with zero arguments.
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