Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Reverend Tor Uja, on Monday said that the Federal Government had approved a 65 per cent tax waiver for pilgrims.
He made this known when he received the chaplaincy committee of the National Christian Centre on a courtesy visit in Abuja.
Uja also said that the commission was still discussing with the air carriers and ground handlers on the issue of cost and would reach a conclusion in the next 2 weeks.
He said, “we have written to President Muhammadu Buhari to give us waiver on some of the taxes that every pilgrim has to pay and the President has agreed a 65 per cent waiver on taxes.
“We are working with agencies and have also approached airlines to reduce flight tickets cost for every pilgrim, which we are still dialoguing.
“I have met with the ground handlers for the October/December pilgrimage. I will have to let this nation know how much pilgrimage is going to cost.’’
Rev. Uja further mentioned of a youth pilgrimage to be launched.
He said the youth pilgrimage that would be launched on Aug. 27 and that it will comprise of 3 components of: spiritual, nationalism and productivity.
He said the 3 components would infuse the spirit of patriotism in the youths and enable them to be productive through the agricultural training programmes in Israel.
“Our plan for the youth pilgrimage is in three folds: spiritual to have better assessment of themselves spiritually and engage their lives in a better way.
“Also it is to generate nationalism; to make young people to know that the greatest thing they have is their nation and the defence of this nation is the development to their personality.
“We will take the youth through the agricultural training programmes in Israel so that they can come back and replicate or even surpass what they see in Israel,” Uja said.
