ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Vice President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday inaugurated the Board of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He emphasized the critical role of faith in providing comfort to citizens and ensuring national stability.
Highlighting Nigeria’s spiritual foundation as a key element of its identity, Shettima reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to upholding religious freedom and promoting interfaith unity
He said: “Nigeria is what it is because it is a nation of God, and this spirituality is of prevailing interest.”
Stanley Nkwocha, the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, disclosed this in a statement titled ‘At NCPC board inauguration: VP Shettima Affirms President Tinubu’s Devotion To Interfaith Harmony.’
Shettima underscored Nigeria’s strength in its diversity of faiths and assured that there would be no discrimination under the current administration.
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“Our duty is to provide a safe haven for members of each faith and uphold the rights and freedoms in our constitution,” he said.
He reminded the NCPC board of its crucial role in facilitating pilgrimage affairs for Nigerian Christians, a “sacred tradition” that must be prioritized.
“It is our pledge that Christians will access optimum privileges in pursuit of their spiritual journey. Your duty here is a service to God and humanity in the best way possible,” Shettima added.
He called on the new NCPC board members to promote interfaith harmony through compassion, justice, and mutual respect.
“We can only emerge stronger and more resilient as a nation through dialogue, empathy, and reconciliation.
“The nation has grappled with the shadows of division fueled by the flames of intolerance and misunderstanding for far too long. Yet, in the flickering light of hope, we find solace in the knowledge that it is through interfaith harmony,” he observed.
Shettima reiterated President Tinubu’s promise that the government would not tolerate discrimination and assured that the administration is dedicated to ensuring interfaith harmony remains a priority.
“Let us heed the call of the Lord to be our brothers’ keepers, our sisters’ keepers, and good neighbours wherever we find ourselves. We can only achieve this when we recognize that our diversity is not a source of weakness but rather a wellspring of strength,” he remarked.
The newly appointed Chairman of the NCPC board, Prof. Cletus Gotan, expressed gratitude to the President for supporting the spiritual upliftment of citizens through sponsored pilgrimage journeys.
“We appreciate the interest of the President and his government in encouraging the spiritual upliftment of our citizens by sponsoring these sacred journeys which will take us to our holy places and teach us about unity,” said Gotan, who is the Vicar General of the Catholic Archdiocese of Jos and a former Dean of Education at the University of Jos.
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Prof. Gotan pledged that the new board would enhance pilgrimage servces.
“We will leave the NCPC better than we found it. We would ensure that we go there for prayers for the government, our families, and for people,” he stated.
He expressed hope that the pilgrimage exercise would foster greater understanding and unity.
“We pray that the exercise will help us appreciate how to live with each other as children of the same father. God has placed us in a country that is multifarious in nature,” he noted.
The board’s composition includes bishops, senior clerics, pastors, former EYN presidents, and “eminent men and women of integrity” across Christian denominations, under the government’s supervision.
Other members of the board are Omowumi Ogunlola (South West), Clement Nweke (South East), Weli Wosu (South-South), Prof. Joseph Mamman (North West), Toma Hamidu Ragnjiya (North East), Simon Samson Dolly (North Central), and Raphael Nwankwo (CAN).
There were also representatives from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Central Bank of Nigeria. Bishop Stephen Adegbite was named the Executive Secretary of the NCPC.