By Celestine Toruka
The Executive Secretary Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, Bishop Stephen Adegbite today met with the Jordanian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities as well as top officials of the Ministry in Amman, Jordan on Monday, 15th April, 2024.
The NCPC boss is in Amman, Jordan to seek for a renewed robust relationship between the Commission and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan which has become a pilgrimage destination for the Nigerian pilgrims in the last three years.
Bishop Adegbite cashed in on the visit to thank God for the opportunity to renew the existing relationship between the Ministry of Tourism and NCPC. He equally appreciated God for his love for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan which has continued to remain one of the most peaceful and stable nations in the entire middle east.
The NCPC helmsman who is visiting Jordan for the first time since his appointment as the fourth substantive Executive Secretary of the Commission on January 4, 2024 by President Bola Ahmed TInubu, revealed that Nigerians and the Christian community are highly excited with the existing cordial relationship between the Jordanians and the Nigerian pilgrims that had so far visited Jordan in the last three years. Thus, he commended the Jordanians for their Pilgrimage friendly disposition , he urged them to sustain the tempo.
He assured his host that Nigerians as a people and christians in particular would continue to partner with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in order to advance the cause of Christian Pilgrimage by exploring landmark Holy Sites as recorded in the bible.
He affirmed that in Pilgrimage, ” we will fulfill the life pattern of our Fathers in Faith”.
He noted that the screening of intending pilgrims are usually handled by professionals in government to ensure that all pilgrims return to Nigeria after the spiritual exercise.
Bishop Adegbite sort the collaboration of relevant agencies of government in Jordan to consider the need to upgrade such sites as the baptismal site of Jesus Christ in River Jordan, the Jabok River , amongst others to a befitting international status with serious religious appeal .
He also canvassed for the retraining of their tour guides for effective service delivery and also to assist in facilitating the deployment of better bus service equipped with modern communication gadgets which could be possible through an interface between the Jordanian government with the Ground Handlers.
Speaking, the Jordanian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, represented by the Secretary General of the Ministry, Dr Emad Hijazeen thanked the Executive Secretary for his first official visit to the Ministry since his assumption of office on 5th February, 2024. He also congratulated him for his appointment by the President of Nigeria.
He pledged the cooperation of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and assured him that all the concerns raised for a better Pilgrimage operations would be promptly addressed.
He maintained that the Jordanians are at home with the Nigerian pilgrims and would do everything as a government to ensure that the bilateral relationship between the two countries would be strengthen.
