President Goodluck Jonathan said on Thursday in Abuja that the Federal Government would continue to sponsor holy pilgrimages in spite of criticisms against the practice in some quarters.
Speaking when he received the report of the Federal Government’s delegation to the 2013 Christians Pilgrimage at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, President Jonathan noted that Nigeria is a secular state and would continue to respect the wishes of majority of Nigerians, who support government’s sponsorship of the holy pilgrimages.
The report was submitted by an 11-man delegation led by the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.
”Nigeria is a secular country and the popular wish of the majority is for government to keep supporting pilgrimage”, Jonathan said.
He, therefore, stressed that his administration would not stop sponsoring pilgrimages as it is the ‘best thing to do’.
“Let me assure that government will continue to support our movement to the holy lands.
“Nigeria is a religious country and that is the only thing we have and that is why certain things we do other may criticise us but our people believe that, that is the best thing to do.
“As long as we believe that that is the best thing for our people, we have no hesitation to do what the people believe is right”.
The president faulted some state governors for lopsided sponsorship of pilgrimages and assured that the Federal Government would address the challenge of zero-sponsor of pilgrimage by some states.
He specifically directed the Vice-President to take up the matter with the affected state governors.
“We believe that in all the 36 states, there is no State that we do not have people from different faiths, Christians and Muslims.
“Luckily myself and the Vice President were both governors before and we knew what we did in our days as governors.
“States funds are general funds and the country is a secular society.
”Whether you are a Christian governor or a Muslim governor, you are spending money that belongs to all Nigerians.
“Assuming your state is 99.99 per cent Christians and even there is only one Muslim there, he has to be protected.
“At the same time, even if your state is 99.99 Muslims and there is only one Christian that Christian needs to be protected”.
Jonathan said that the 2013 Christian Pilgrimage exercise was spectacular because he personally participated in it along with some state governors and ministers.
He said his decision to make the position of the leader of government delegation to pilgrimage permanent has paid off.
The president said the grey areas in both Christians and Muslims pilgrimages had been reduced because of the consistency in the leadership structure.
He said they had been able to manage the challenge of pilgrims absconding, assaults on pilgrims and petty crimes.
Jonathan assured that the Federal Government would look into the report and the recommendations.
Earlier, Oritsejafor told the president that answers to the prayers rendered during the last pilgrimage would soon be felt across the country.
While commending Mr. Jonathan for taking part in the last exercise, he urged him to make his participation an annual event because of its ‘immeasurable spiritual benefits’.
He said 27 states including the Federal Capital Territory participated in the exercise with a total of 14,833 pilgrims, however, Kano, Katsina, Rivers, Sokoto and Zamfara states did not sponsor any pilgrim during the exercise.
