Govt to stop funding pilgrimages
By Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja
Thursday, 13 Oct 2011
 
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Intending pilgrims should be prepared to fend for themselves as the Federal Government moves to stop funding pilgrimage.

President Goodluck Jonathan gave the indication at the State House, Abuja on Wednesday while inaugurating members of the Federal Government’s delegation to the 2011 Christian Pilgrimage.

The 11-man committee has the President, Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, as its Chairman and Pastor Israel Abba as Secretary.

Jonathan observed that the population of Christian pilgrims had tripled since his election, attributing the development to the advocacy work of the National Christian Pilgrims Commission.

He said with the increasing population, it would get to a point the operation would become self-funding and government would no longer need to spend money.

The President, who said he inherited the system of inaugurating ad-hoc committees for the exercise annually, added that he changed the system because it lacked continuity and institutional memory.

He said, “When we came on board, we brought a bit of change in the system. Before we came on board, it has been ad-hoc committees being established every year.

“In that kind of arrangement, there is no continuity and institutional memory. That was why we decided to have a delegation that will be led by CAN President every year.

“By so doing, they will be learning from past mistakes.”

Jonathan said the decision was based on the need for an independent government body to advise the President to instruct the pilgrims commission to do what was right in case the members decided to look the other way when things go wrong.

The President said the step had started yielding results because no adverse case had been recorded during the 2010 pilgrimage.

He added that the days of pilgrims absconding in the Holy Land in the past had become a thing of the past.

Jonathan described pilgrimage as a serious business to be taken seriously, urging members of the delegation to put in their best.

Promising to do a thorough job, Oritsejafor said the assignment given to members of the delegation came with a great responsibility that must be discharged well.

“We shall be careful to discharge the responsibility and make the needed input to make the pilgrimage worthwhile,” he added.




http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201110132391318

About time. Let the pilgrimmage programmes fund themselves. CAN should take responsibility for the Christian pilgrimmage and the Council for Islamic Affairs for hajj. Save funds for developmental projects.

^^^

That's how it should be.

Welcome news.

GEJ scores some points in my books for this. Way to go man.

If not that Nigeria is a wasteful country, what's the government's business in funding pilgrimages? Incidentally, going on pilgrimage is not even compulsory for Christians and Muslims. And in Islam where it is a pillar, it's only mandatory for those who can afford it.

Whether mandatory or not for these two groups, the funding of pilgrimages is hypocritical of Nigeria's claim as a secular country and is unfair to those Nigerians who are neither Muslims nor Christians. Or why didn't the government sponsor adherents of other faiths on pilgrimages?

Furthermore, the government should stop building religious houses. This should be left to private individuals to handle.

Kudos GEJ

Good talk from GEJ

It just shows how useless Nigeria's past leaders have been. Why on earth did some leaders start funding pilgrims in the first place? What business does govt. have with funding religious trips? Way to go, GEJ.

I hope state governments will also take a cue from this.

The corruption which pilgrimage sponsorship has become in the states is unimaginable. The states simply give out the 'slots' to their acolytes and lapdogs who in turn start selling at a 'discount'.

He said with the increasing population, it would get to a point the operation would become self-funding and government would no longer need to spend money.

the statement says "it will get to a point where the operation becomes self funding". . .

This could be 10 or 15 years from now, there's absolutely nothing in this statement that shows an action to stop this idiotic waste of money is under way!

Its about time

Thumbs up! Good news.

violent:

the statement says "it will get to a point where the operation becomes self funding". . .

This could be 10 or 15 years from now, there's absolutely nothing in this statement that shows an action to stop this idiotic waste of money is under way!

Exactly my thoughts we all know that GEJ is always full of promises with no action   ridiculous waste of public funds! What about Nigerians who are neither Christians or Muslims? I've not heard that govt ever fund Amadioha or Sango worshippers.

good move

x

What business does the government have funding pilgrimages ? Sad, sad! All that money could be used to develop Nigeria.

No sooner had I submitted my invoice to the Department of Treasury in Abuja, seeking funding for the charter of several aircraft to convey God of Iron ( Ogun ) worshipper delegations from Brazil to Nigeria, for the First Global Ogun Practitioners Convention,  than the federal government tries to duck the bill for the trip.   There is no justice in life.

Humor aside, it is good to see that mainstream religious bodies, like traditional ones, can no longer obtain state funding, violating the separation of church and state that underpins all true secular democracies.

Why can't he stop the funding now?
This senseless waste is ungodly.

Way to go GEJ. Remove the damn thing.

How can government fund pilgrimage when 95% of the country is hungry?

Jakumo:

No sooner had I submitted my invoice to the Department of Treasury in Abuja, seeking funding for the charter of several aircraft to convey [b]God of Iron ( Ogun ) worshipper delegations from Brazil to Nigeria, for the First Global Ogun Practitioners Convention, than the federal government tries to duck the bill for the trip. There is no justice in life.[/b]

Funny!!



@ Topic

I wonder what he is waiting for, Wetin concern federal government with sponsoring religious trips?! This was an idea concieved by shady administrations that wanted to buy the soul of religious bigots by bribing them with free tickets to Isreal and Saudi Arabia,

Kudos to Bross GEJ maybe the 5-star general uniform he wore a day or two ago has put some General's DNA in him. Heeeeeeeen she our mujaheddin emirs and top politician in the north will not ginger the boko haram to step up their ogbunigwe capaign? I dey fear o

huuh

Now this is one of the loopholes we are talking about. Plugs has to be placed on these loopholes to free some funds for the govt for developmental purposes. More plugs should be placed after which we can now start discussing about subsidy removal.
GEJ, this should stop IMMEDIATELY.

Princek12:

It just shows how useless Nigeria's past leaders have been. Why on earth did some leaders start funding pilgrims in the first place? What business does govt. have with funding religious trips? Way to go, GEJ.

obowunmi:

What business does the government have funding pilgrimages ? Sad, sad! All that money could be used to develop Nigeria.

^^^^
For God sake, a country as poor as Nigeria.

Even states that cannot generate 1/20 of their annual budget spend so much on sponsoring people to pilgrimage.

A point toward reasoning and reality. Nigerians may at last realize that the god they are wasting our hard earned resources searching for in rome,jerusalem and mecca is right there in their hearts and brains. Man is god aswell as the devil.

This man is trying now, just that BOKO HARAM are too big for him 2 handle

Obj is a devil while Fela is a god. The explanation can not be simplier.

Good, now lets get a tikme frame for this,
also constituency projects to senators,
foriegn medcal check ups for public officers. etc
NNPC,
Fuel subsidy,


so much waste to trim.lol

HURRA! HOORAH!

I hardly agree with GEJ on issues of governance but on this, i am one with GEJ.
It is absolutely wrong to use tax payers money to sponsor harlots, concubines, political thugs and politicians on yearly pilgrimages.
Thumbs up GEJ but please ensure all state government follow suit.

i wonder why federal govt sponsors these pilgrimages while some state in the north cant afford minimum wage.my parents went to Israel they didn't ask for govt help so why is it that Nigerian govt always wasting money unnecessarily? acting like they got too much money very s.t.u.p.i.d. set.