President Goodluck Jonathan has again ignored Governorship Rotimi Amaechi as the Chairam of Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), preferring instead to pick Governor Jonah Jang to lead the governors along the President to perform this year’s holy pilgrimage.
Aa statement from the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) and signed by NCPC’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Celestine Ogugua, was made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja. said the Executive Secretary of the commission, Mr. John-Kennedy Opara, revealed this when he visited the Plateau Governor, Jonah Jang in his office in Jos.
Opara said Jang is expected to lead other governors and top government officials to accompany the president to the Holy Land.
The executive secretary said the President would embark on the trip in October, thereby making history as the first sitting Christian president to embark on holy pilgrimage.
“Mr President would be the first sitting Christian President of Nigeria to embark on Holy Pilgrimage to Israel and you will lead other governors that will accompany him to Israel,” Oparasaid.
The statement called on all Christians in Plateau to rally round their governor to ensure the success of the epoch event.
Opara also called on the state government to ensure prompt payment for the state pilgrims to avoid delay in the processing of their visas and other travel documents required.
He commended the state government for sponsoring 1,000 pilgrims from the state to the 2012 pilgrimage.
Responding, Jang commended the commission for selecting him to lead other governors, describing it as a welcome development, and pledged to ensure the success of the exercise.
“I will work with the NCPC to work out the modalities on how to mobilise and lead other governors to accompany Mr President on the historic and spiritual journey to Israel.
“It is a great honour and privilege for Plateau pilgrims to show example to others and for Mr.President to know that pilgrimage to Israel is not a wasteful venture,’’ Jang said.
He said that he would mobilise his colleagues to give the president the necessary support during and after the exercise.
The President Jonathan had indicated his interest to lead Nigerians to the 2013 pilgrimage which would commence on October 28