NCPC takes mandate to next level through innovation

Tribune Online
NCPC takes mandate to next level through innovation

The Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) is the apex national regulatory body for Christian pilgrimage in Nigeria. It is the only government Christian agency that has direct link with the Federal Government.

The commission was statutorily established by an Act of the National Assembly No. 32 of May, 2007 empowered to organise and coordinate the activities of Christians on pilgrimage from Nigeria to Israel and other holy sites around the world.

The commission is also empowered to license and regulate the activities of Christian pilgrimage operators in Nigeria by providing health, financial, security support and conducive environment for the smooth airlift of pilgrims to the holy lands.

The commission commenced full operation in 2008 and moved to its corporate headquarters in 2010 at Plot 1348 Cadastral Zone, Ahmadu Bello Way, Garki 2, Abuja.

Considering the need to bring pilgrimage nearer to the people at the grassroots, the NCPC management in 2011 resolved to decentralise the administration of pilgrimage by creating six zonal offices in each of the geo-political zones of the country.

Presently, the NCPC zonal offices are situated in Yola for the North-East, Kaduna for the North-West, Enugu for the South-East, Lagos for the South-West, Bayelsa for the South-South and Gwagwalada for the North-Central.

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Over the years, pilgrimage whether Christian Pilgrimage or the hajj for Muslims, has gained ground in Nigeria and has generated positive debates on various circles. One fact remains that pilgrimage is a spiritual journey to a sacred place in order to enable the pilgrims have a deeper understanding of their faith.

Every year, Nigerian Christians look forward to having a personal encounter and spiritual revival with our Lord Jesus Christ in Israel because of the underlying life changing experience embedded in it.

Indeed, the NCPC has grown in leaps and bounds since its establishment in 2007. The commission has expanded its operational scope from a single pilgrimage destination, which is Israel, to more pilgrimage destinations that include Greece and Rome. Also the 2019 general pilgrimage is a two-way destination package; Israel and Rome.

Aside the expansion of the pilgrimage destinations, the commission has also added more pilgrimage programmes, making three times (Easter Youth and Family pilgrimages), stretching through one calendar year compared to the single general pilgrimage programme of October-December.

Also, the number of Christian pilgrimage operators licensed by NCPC has also increased in recent time from 71 to 113.

The commission has over the years enjoyed maximum support from the Federal Government, state governments, churches and well-meaning Nigerians, who have helped to advance the cause of Christian pilgrimage in Nigeria.

One of the takeaways from this is the fact that Christian pilgrimage in Nigeria has become a model for African countries and one of the best in sub-Sahara Africa.

This played out in 2018, when a powerful delegation from the Ghana Ministry of Religious and Chieftaincy Affairs visited NCPC to understudy the NCPC model and the Ghanaian minister, Chief Kofi Damezi, commended the commission for having the best organised Christian pilgrimage body in Africa.

The general pilgrimage exercise remains the major pilgrimage threshold of the commission in terms of content and form as it is critical to the survival of the commission and energy is directed at actualising it through strategic plan and policy.

Before now, the commission had carried out a lot of programmes towards having a successful and hitch-free 2019 general pilgrimage to Israel and Rome.

Early in the year, the NCPC organised a bid platform for ground handlers and air carriers where  successful bidders were subsequently approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, which gave birth to the signing of contract agreements beween the NCPC and the service providers.

At the signing of the agreement, the director in charge of the commission, Mrs Esther Kwaghe, urged them not to renege on the agreement and tasked them to focus on pilgrims’ safety and value for money.

Also, this year, the commission effected a downward review of the pilgrimage package to Israel from N731,000 to N715,000. The director in charge of NCPC, Mrs Kwaghe, said that was the effort of the chairman of NCPC, Rev. Yomi Kasali and the board which is also a remarkable feat in the history of the commission.

Again, the commission also organised medical examinations for the federal medial team in conjunction with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

At the end of the day, 65 federal medical team comprising medical doctors, pharmacists, nurses and medical laboratory scientists were selected and the commission consequently organised medical orientation for them at Goshen in Nasarawa State.

The chairman of the Board of NCPC, Rev Kasali, the director in charge, Mrs Kwaghe, board members and management staff also embarked on sensitisation visits to some states’ chief executives, churches and well-meaning individuals soliciting for support for this year’s general pilgrimage.

Screening and re-screening of intending pilgrims across the states was also done by the commission to ensure thorough vetting in order to avoid potential absconders during the pilgrimage exercise.

Indeed, a lot of strategies have been deployed by the commission to ensure a hitch-free 2019 general pilgrimage exercise to Israel and Rome.

As part of the build-up to this year’s general pilgrimage, Mrs Kwaghe; the Director of Operations, Rev. Amos Yohanna and officials from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), as well as the officials from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) visited Istanbul, Turkey, to ascertain the preparedness of the handlers and also to physically inspect the aircraft and other facilities to cater to pilgrims.

The inspection of pilgrims’ aircraft is a sine-qua-non for a successful airlift operation of Nigerian pilgrims.

Similarly, the commission and all the states pilgrimage leaders, comprising state chairmen and secretaries of states Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, also visited Israel and Rome to inspect facilities in the hotels and holy sites as signed in the agreement between the NCPC and the ground handlers.

However, the progress made in recent time is attributed to the robust relationship between the NCPC board, led by Rev Kasali and the management of NCPC led by Mrs Kwaghe.

This existing mutual unstanding is an encouraging factor that will sustain the interest of Nigerian pilgrims and the growth of Christian pilgrimage in Nigeria.

This significant feat has attracted commendation for the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for the support and effective supervisory role on the commission.

In the same vein, same congenial atmosphere is being replicated in all the states Christian Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards under the auspices of the Conference of States.

The board and the commission are working effortlessly to ensure that all relevant stakeholders are carried along in the scheme of things as far as Christian pilgrimage is concern.

At the moment, the commission is also working tirelessly to ensure the commencement of the 2019 general pilgrimage to Israel and Rome in November.

Toruka is an Assistant Director and Head, NCPC Media

Nigerian Tribune

NCPC takes mandate to next level through innovation
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