From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The acting Director of the FCT Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Mrs. Rahila Isa-Baita the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) has intensified screening tactics to reduce rate of absconding employed by some pilgrims once they get to the holy land.
Mrs. Isa-Baita made the disclosure in a telephone interview with journalists.
Isa-Baita explained that the implored both investigative and interrogative measures in the screening.
According to her, about 230 were screened but only 207 were successful and their names have been forwarded for Visa coverage.
“We screened about 220, 197 were successful, we still screened more 10, in all about 207 were successful. The NCPC screen by sight or by form. If the person is really interested in the pilgrimage or want to abscond. They look at the church he is going, if he is a Church goer or not, and also look at the family. From there to Europe is easy” She added.
‘Since I assumed office I had not rested, most people are well to do, because they can leave their business and abscond, for Civil servants, we will look at the person sponsoring you .” Mrs. Isa-Baita stated.
Speaking on penalties, she said it is not only the abscondees that are punished, adding that the sponsors are also charged seven million naira.
“There are penalties on the abscondee and their sponsors. As for the abscondees, when you are caught we deport them back to Nigeria and inform the necessary agencies to pick him up at the airport” she stressed.
She further appreciated the Minister of FCT, Nyesome Wike for all the support rendered to the board during the screening and sensitisation.
“FCT minister has been so good to us, all what we requested for the screening and sensitization and sponsor us to carry out pilgrims” Mrs. Isa-Baita
The acting director therefore applead to well to do Christians to assist in sponsoring others to perform their spiritual obligations.
“I appealed to the well to do to sponsor individuals.’ pilgrimage is a personal thing, because is a spiritual thing. For instance, Muslim will take one year of his savings to go to hajj, as Christians we can also do the same, if we are really proud of our religion. Even some wealthy Muslims also sponsor some of them” she emphasized
This year’s pilgrimage is a spill over of last year, we have already arranged everything , we are going to Rome, Israel and Jordan” she added.
Mrs. Isa-Baita explained that the Executive Secretary of the NCPC and his team went to Israel last two weeks and it seems like business as usual, adding that all is set for a hitch free exercise.
” so we are convinced that there is no problem on the Holy sites in Israel” she noted