The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) has urged the Government of Nigeria to make provision for people with disabilities and support them in areas they need help. He made this known when the Multi Care Foundation for Disabled paid him a courtesy visit recently at the NCPC corporate Headquarters, Abuja.
He stressed the need for Nigeria to catch up with other parts of the world by making provision for the disabled. In his words, “the strength of a Nation is determined by the people who they support” “the time has come for Nigerians to put issues of challenged people in the front burners” he added.
Rev. Uja congratulated people with disabilities for their beautiful strides in the last Olympics and emphasized that if people with disabilities are given more attention they would represent Nigeria better and would be able to win more medals.
The NCPC boss promised to support and considers people with disabilities in the pilgrimage programmes of the Commission. In his words, “NCPC will plan and organize a pilgrimage for the Challenged”.
Speaking earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of Multi Care Foundation for Disabled, Mrs Elizabeth Obande thanked the Executive Secretary for the warm reception. She informed the NCPC boss that this administration had created a Ministry for those with disabilities to cater for their needs. In her words, “this is the first time it is happening in the history of this nation and it is highly commendable”.
She stated that her foundation is working out modalities with the Federal Government that would enable the people with disabilities to exercise their right to vote in 2019. She urged the NCPC boss to consider people with disabilities in the pilgrimage programmes of the Commission.
Read Also:
Meanwhile, Rev. Tor Uja has said that the Commission was working on cutting cost in all its pilgrimage process. He disclosed this in Abuja while playing host to the leadership of the Forum of Civil Society Organization in Nigeria.
According to him:“we want to organize pilgrimage in such a manner that is cost saving.”
Rev. Tor Uja also hinted that the Commission would enlarge its coast of pilgrimage to include Agriculture and technological development.
He called on Christians to see pilgrimage as an element that advances Christian faith. In his words : “we will like the Christian Faith to be exemplary.”
The NCPC has admonished the Civil Society Groups to give more attention to the youths and women development. He expressed that these two groups are vulnerable and critical as well.
The NCPC helmsman further hinted that in the next few years NCPC would focus more attention on youth and women pilgrimage.
The NCPC boss also called on the Civil Society groups to lend their voice to what becomes the future of this country. He further asked the Civil Society Groups not to see themselves as opponents of government but advocate for Nigeria development.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Comrade Ishiaku Nok commended the NCPC boss for the role he played in the growth and development of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) in Benue State. He added “that Rev. Uja is a man who is passionate about Christian Faith.”
He explained that the Civil Society Group is an avenue where the performance of the Commission would be brought nearer to the people.
Comrade Nok considered the Executive Secretary deserving and worthy to be honored as the patron of the group who would play a fatherly role to them. His words: “from today, you will be our father and we will be your children.”
Uja has also disclosed that the Commission would acquire a Nigerian Pilgrim Centre in Israel to help in bringing Nigerian Pilgrims together and would also help to project the image of the country in Israel. He made this disclosure in Goshen City Keffi Road during the Medical Orientation for Federal Medical Team for this year’s pilgrimage to Israel, Rome and Greece.
The NCPC boss also informed that the Commission has a fully equipped medical Centre at the Embassy of Nigeria in Tel-Aviv, Israel to cater for the medical needs of Nigerian Pilgrims. He stated that the objective of the medical orientation was to provide training and synergy for those who would be handling pilgrims before the pilgrimage, during and after.
He disclosed that the Federal Medical Committee which supervises the Federal Medical Team are made up of 15 experienced and seasoned Medical personnel whose primary duty is to organize, coordinate and supervise the implementation of the Federal Government health policy on pilgrimage.
The NCPC boss also stated that the Federal Medical Committee would ensure that all the pilgrims who participated in pilgrimage do that in good health and come back alive.
Rev. Uja further explained that the selection process for Medical Team Members was done electronically by the Joint Admission and Matriculation board (JAMB) through examination conducted by the Board and supervised by NCPC. He stressed that from the performance of the medical personnel in the medical examination it became evident that Nigeria is gifted with well trained medical personnel. He posited that the medical personnel in Nigeria are not less inferior to the one outside this country.
Rev. Uja decried the rate at which foreign exchange was being spent on medical Tourism to countries such as india. He posited that if the country could boast of four more new hospitals of the same standards with National Hospital, Abuja a lot of the medical challenges faced in this country would be addressed.
According to the NCPC boss, “the result of the medical examination showed that we have qualified medical personnel in this country”. He added: “Nigeria must be proud of their medical personnel because they have what it takes to deliver”.
He charged the medical Team members to ensure they participate in all activities during pilgrimage such as visit to Holy sites, morning devotion and prayers at different sites with pilgrims.
He reiterated that “they are Christian pilgrimage medical personnel” and not just medical personnel”. Rev. Uja further admonished them to build their honour on what God has privileged them to be. He also hinted that “NCPC is currently reviewing the approved pilgrimage sites to ensure spiritual excellence,” sites that are biblically true and relevant”. He further stated that NCPC is exploiting options of pilgrimage beyond Israel, Rome and Greece.
In his address at the event, Chairman Federal Medical Committee, Dr. Joseph Amedu stated that health is wealth and that no nation could succeed without a strong healthy citizenry. He explained that the Federal Government put in place the Federal Medical Committee to coordinate, organize and supervise the overall medical programme of the entire pilgrimage process.
He affirmed that the essence of the medical orientation was to come together to have a group chart on how to handle the pilgrims medically. He added that the orientation programme would afford them the opportunity to ensure that all Nigerians who travel to Israel go in good health.
Dr. Amedu further stressed that pilgrimage should not be seen as sightseeing or Tourism, but a serious spiritual exercise.
The orientation of Federal Medical Committee and Federal Medical Team for 2016 Christian pilgrimage lasted for three days from 7th – 9th October, 2016. Its focus was: “Health and spiritual Management of Nigerian’s Christian Pilgrims”.
This was the first of its kind in the history of the Commission where selected medical personnel were accommodated for three days and given serious medical orientation on how to handle and guide the pilgrims.
About 170 medical personnel from across Nigeria participated at the orientation programme which comprised Medical Doctors, Pharmacists, Nurses and Medical Laboratory Scientist.
