Pray for peace, total defeat of Boko Haram, Jonathan urges intending Easter pilgrims

President GoodLuck Jonathan has urged
prospective Easter Christian pilgrims to pray for
peace in the country and total defeat of Boko
Haram militants.

The President, represented by the Anambra
Governor, Mr Willie Obiano, gave the advice at the
launch of the 2015 Easter Pilgrimage to Israel,
Greece and Rome on Sunday in Enugu.

He said “as you go to the Holy Land, try and pray
for peace in Nigeria and total defeat of the Boko
Haram and victory for our military personnel.”

He urged the intending pilgrims to work as a team,
irrespective of their denominations so as to lift the
spirit of the entire Nigeria.

According to NAN, Jonathan also advised them to
obey the rules guiding them while in the Holy Land
so as not to bring shame to Nigeria.

The Deputy Senate President, Mr Ike Ekwerenmadu,
also urged the intending pilgrims to pray for the
nation, saying that the problem caused by the Boko
Haram had brought hardship to every tribe and not
just the people of the North East.

Mr John Kennedy, the Executive National Secretary,
National Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC),
pleaded with the intending pilgrims to be good
ambassadors of Nigeria while in the Holy Land.

He said the Christian Pilgrims Commission was
already collaborating with the National Lottery
Commission for Christian Pilgrimage Lottery
Scheme, saying it would afford every Christian the
opportunity of obtaining a ticket that could take
them to Israal or Rome.

Kennedy said that the Commission had introduced
some basic programmes to strengthen the Christian
pilgrimage activities.

“We are introducing basic leadership and skill
acquisition programmes; we also introduced the
youth pilgrimage and Christian Pilgrimage Lottery
Scheme.

“This innovation will be our trust in reaching more
Christians who otherwise have remained
untouched.”

He appreciated Obiano for the large number of
pilgrims he had sponsored, adding that it was a
thing of joy that Anambra was the first to start
the Easter Pilgrimage.

Earlier,the Chairman of NCPC, Archbishop Nicholas
Okoh, advised them not to take laws into their
hands, rather, they should work as a team.

He asked them to remain focused so as not to
distract each other, saying their visit to the Holy
Land was not for shopping, rather, it was for
spiritual exercise.

The Anambra Christian Pilgrim Board Chairman, Dr
Levi Muonanu, called on the Federal Government to
increase sponsorship of more Christians in the
state.

Some participants said they were delighted to be
among those given the opportunity to embark on
the 2015 pilgrimage.

Mrs Nkiru Kwuazu said she was full of
expectations, saying her purpose of embarking on
the Holy exercise was to pray for peace in the
country and for her family.

Rev. Emmanuel Okolo from Awka Dioces said his
going there was for spiritual growth and peace in
Nigeria.

The theme of the pilgrimage is “A Tool for Moral
Transformation and Spiritual Rebirth: Moving to
Stability.”