President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday expressed concern over the report that northern state governments did not sponsor Christian pilgrims during the 2014 pilgrimage to Israel.

He raised the concern when the leader of the Federal Government’s delegation to the pilgrimage, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, led other members to present their report at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Oritsejafor, who is the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, had earlier told the President that all Christian pilgrims from all the states in the North were sponsored by individuals or were self-sponsored.

He said with the total of 12,890 pilgrims that performed the exercise, the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission recorded about 45 per cent increase in self-sponsorship.

The President, however, said economic pressure might have forced the affected state governments to withdraw from sponsoring pilgrims.
He, however, promised to encourage the affected state governments on the need to change their stand.
He said, “The only thing I noticed is that various state governments are trying to withdraw from sponsorship of pilgrimage; maybe because of the economic pressure on them. But we will encourage them to do so.

“Luckily, private institutions have shown interest and I believe that religious bodies, individuals and private institutions will gradually begin to key into the pilgrimage operations.

“So, if sub-national governments relax a little, the gap will be filled up.”
He expressed delight that the exercise was hitch-free despite the huge number of people involved.
He promised that his administration would study the report and implement the various recommendations made.
The President thereafter dissolved the 10-man delegation, with a promise to constitute that of 2015 very soon.

As part of the delegation’s report, Oritsejafor called for the adequate funding of Nigerian embassies in Rome, Greece and Tel Aviv to assist in the handling of pilgrims.

He also called on various governments, both at the state and local levels, to sponsor Christians for pilgrimage especially as the Commission was using the pilgrimage as a tool for moral and spiritual transformation.

http://www.punchng.com/news/northern-govts-fail-to-sponsor-christian-pilgrimage-jonathan/

Jonathan is an Agent of Division. Always playing religious card. No wonder only those who want Nigeria's division that support Jonathan.

Imagine what a President is spewing, divide & rule tactics it won't work because you are already on your way to Otuoke.

This guy is a nutter

is that his priority as a president.

Just can't stand the sight of this man. He disgusts me more than anything else.

omenka:
Just can't stand the sight of this man. He disgusts me more than anything else.

Cameroon is not far, or you can go to Liberia if you don't understand french. Because as e be so, it is GEJ till 2019 - hatred, frustration, poverty and sorrow may be bring your life to an abrupt end before then.

Nonsense

this is a big fat lie from Gej .he will be disappointed on march 28.

All the people above me didn't read the article.
There is no where he said that.

I'm seriously wondering if the posters above me understand what they read. The title is different from the message. Smh.

shortgun:
All the people above me didn't read the article.
There is no where he said that.

I was actually laughing when i read their senseless comments.I guess some people are paid to hate anything with the name jonathan in it.Jonathan might send one of these guys a billion dollar check and without confirmation,they would run off to the street tongue lashing jonathan for sending them a death threat.

To them is all about zoinism.

shortgun:
All the people above me didn't read the article.
There is no where he said that.

thrash talk. go and read it from the link of the news paper if you didnt believed.

.

[size=15pt]They won't sponsor Christians but would use Christian oil money to send Muslims to Mecca and build Almajiri schools.[/size]

Enough of Northern hegemony, its been going on since the 60s.

Southern states should stop sponsoring pilgrimage for muslims too.

LRNZH:
GMB's position is clear.... Gov't has no business sponsoring pilgrimage, be it Muslim or Christian.

Nigeria and misplaced priorities since PDP 1999.

GMB doesn't sponsor pilgrimages, he sponsors terrorism.

hmm

That is how they will go to the North and say "Southern government has failed to sponsor Muslim pilgrimage"

PDP deceiving people since 1800 BC smhh

Say No to bigotry

What can of president say such thing for goodness sake. how do we get here

IS HE TRYING TO STIMULATE ANOTHER RELIGIOUS CRISIS??


What kind of President speaks without a manual

The slayer of corruption.
The terrorizer of looters.
The defender of the masses.
The no-nonsense general.
The most popular man in Nigeria.
The political enigma.
The only politician who can get millions without renting a crowd.
The man with a cult-like followership.

The persistent one!
PDP's worst nightmare.

All welcome Nigeria's incoming president
President Muhammadu Buhari. GCFR

NIGERIANS WANT GMB/PYO 2015
ASARI DOKUBO/TOMPOLO/ORITSEJAFOR/SHEKAU/BOKO HARAM WANT GEJ 2015

northerners mentality, smh

Govt should stop it nationwide.

What are the benefits thereafter?

That money can give us better and affordable water/food.

It should be an individual choice.

#BlessGODBlessNAIJA!

Whether pilgrim sponsored by northern states or southern states, jonathan should have never made it open to the public, he is really daft, all these can cause religious rift or war in the country because of useless selfish ambition. Truly he is clueless, a shame to Phd holders in Nigeria.

Sekem sekem where my baby oooo

Nonsense. ..at every turn always trying to divide the country along ethnic and religious lines. .

This is a matter he should have discussed with the state involved discreetly. ..mtsewwww.

why are the government sponsoring people to go on pilgrimage ...

when wil they sponsor 100 students to Cambridge and 100 graduates to NASA....


abegi

keep ur orders coming in jare

I honestly don't know why this is a discussion. Wth would government be sponsoring pilgrimage. If you want to go for it, let is be from ur pockets.

Btw, does southern government sponsor Muslim pilgrimage?

All we keep hearing from our so called RULERS is "Northern", "Southern", "South West", "South East", "North central" et al. When did we become this divided?

. his that his priority..he can't complain of northern. government not bringing back d chibok girls or not dealing with boko haram all he can say his. north not sponsoring Christians.
.is govt sponsoring. people to pilgrimage. part of their constitutional. duties?? what manner of man is this goodluck sef //??