Israeli-Hamas war: NCPC shifts Jerusalem pilgrimage resumption

The Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission has shifted the resumption of the 2024 pilgrimage to Jerusalem to May from the earlier March proposed date.

The Executive Secretary of the commission, Rev Stephen Adegbite, disclosed this to our correspondent, while also stating that the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, would no longer lead a delegation of Christians in government on pilgrimage to Jerusalem over the Easter holidays as earlier planned.

The commission had in February announced plans to resume pilgrimage to Isreal in March, after cancelling the December round following the breakout of the Israeli-Hamas war in October.

In a statement signed by the Deputy Director and Head of Media and Public Relations at NCPC, Celestine Toruka, Adegbite, during a visit to the Israeli Ambassador, Michael Freeman, hinted that “the commission plans to take some executive Christians in government on pilgrimage to Israel, stating that the First Lady of the Federal Republic, Sen. Oluremi TInubu, would lead the contingent during Easter this year.

Adegbite expressed his excitement to hear from the Ambassador that Israel would soon open its borders to international travels, and informed the ambassador that the commission would prepare to visit the country by March.

However, speaking with our correspondent over the weekend, the Executive Secretary said the pilgrimage to Isreal would no longer resume in March, noting that the commission was now looking at between May and June.

“It will commence in June. Between late May and early June, by the grace of God. No price has been fixed for now. The First Lady is not going for now, but it is a possibility in the future,” Adegbite said.

Meanwhile, the commission had earlier in January, pegged the fares for intending pilgrims as N3m, noting that the amount covered “return flight, hotel accommodation, three-course meal per day, and tours of holy sites in both Rome and Greece in executive luxurious buses for six nights and seven days,” stressing however, that the cost was not inclusive of pilgrims traveling allowances.

However, Adegbite, who was appointed as Secretary in February, had said in an interview that the Commission could not yet fix the price, because of the fluctuating dollar rates, adding that the NCPC would liaise with relevant government agencies, and that prices would be fixed as soon as things were put in place.