The Executive Governor of Osun State, Governor Rauf Aregbesola has said that the skills acquisition programme of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) will advance the citizens of Nigeria if well utilized. He made this statement while receiving the Executive Secretary of NCPC, Mr. John Kennedy Opara, who was on a sensitization visit to Oshogbo, Osun State Capital.
He commended the Commission for identifying areas of strength in Israel which Nigerians would benefit from. He equally commended Mr. Opara for the innovative programmes that have been introduced to Christian pilgrimage, especially, the youth pilgrimage skills acquisition programme. He added that the scheme would be of immense benefit to the country. According to him, “if a nation cannot feed itself, they are doomed”.
The Governor affirmed that Israel is a desert country but has been turned into a fantastic Agricultural territory.
He further encouraged the Commission to pursue its programmes to the latter as it would build up the economy and morality of Nigerian citizens.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of NCPC, John Kennedy Opara commended the Governor for his giant strides in the state, especially in the educational system.
He informed on the four pilgrimage programmes the Commission runs in a year: The Easter pilgrimage, Youth pilgrimage, Family pilgrimage which avails families the opportunity of praying together in the Holy Land and the main pilgrimage, usually held between October – December.
He explained that the Commission is presently partnering with the Ministry of Agriculture, Israel, to empower Nigerian youths to become self reliant through skills acquisition. He affirmed that over 1000 youths who participated in the 2015 youth pilgrimage exercise were exposed to skills acquisition, especially in the area of Agriculture. In his words, “This is one way we can help to give jobs to the people”.
He further explained that Israel runs one of the best and strongest economies in the world as a result of their Agricultural system. In his words, “This is what we want to tap from and bring back to Nigeria”.
Mr. Opara affirmed that the Commission uses pilgrimage as a tool for moral transformation and spiritual rebirth, which presupposes that the spiritual content of pilgrimage is maintained at all times. According to him, “We believe the pilgrims who embark on Holy pilgrimage would encounter God and come back as change agents”
He urged the Governor to encourage well meaning citizens in the State to sponsor others who are spiritually rich, but materially poor to encounter God in the Holy Land.
