One hundred and eighty Christian pilgrims from Adamawa State have departed from the Modibbo Adama International Airport in Yola for pilgrimage to the Holly Sites in Jordan and Israel.
The Adamawa Christian Pilgrims were boarded alone with pilgrims from Taraba, Gombe, and Yobe States, with a total of 352 on board departed from Yola on Friday 24 January at 11:36pm.
The Pilgrims arrived at Queen Alia International Airport, Arman the political and economic capital of Jordan on Saturday, at 4:15am Nigeria time and 6:15am Jordan time.
Bidding farewell to the pilgrims at Modibbo Adama International Airport Yola, the Governor of Adamawa State, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, who was represented by the Chief of Staff, Government House Yola, Dr Edgar Amos, prayed for the safe trip of the pilgrims and urged them to adhere to the guidelines for the pilgrimage and the laws of Jordan and Israel.
Governor Fintiri implored the pilgrims to pray for the state and the country.
On his part, the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Welfare Commission, Bishop Stephen Adigbite, cautioned the pilgrims against abscondment and indiscipline. He reminded the pilgrims of the spiritual nature of the journey and prayed that all the pilgrims would be rejuvenated. He assured that all challenges faced by the pilgrims would be addressed accordingly.
Earlier, at the orientation and farewell service held at the EYN State Low-cost in Jimeta Yola, Adamawa State Governor, Rt. Hon. Ahmad Umaru Fintiri, represented by his Deputy, Professor Kaletapwa George Farauta, charged the intending Christian pilgrims to be good ambassadors of the state during their pilgrimage to Jordan and Israel.
The Governor thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for subsidising the pilgrimage, urging wealthy individuals and groups to sponsor people for the pilgrimage, emphasising that the government alone could not shoulder all responsibilities.
Governor Fintiri urged the intending pilgrims to refrain from any act that would tarnish the image of the state and Nigeria. He called upon the pilgrims to pray for the State and the Federal Government while congratulating them on embarking on the 2024 pilgrimage exercise.
The Head of the Adamawa State Government delegation, HRM Bwaltam Bentley Biyapo, the Murum Mbula, expressed optimism that the pilgrims would pray for the country to overcome all forms of crime and criminality. He urged the intending pilgrims not to abscond, indulge in any form of illicit drug trafficking, and to adhere to all the guidelines of the pilgrimage.
Also addressing the intending pilgrims at the orientation exercise, the Adamawa State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board Chairman, Bishop Theophilus Shadrach, stated that pilgrimage is a time to come to God and to strengthen one’s faith. He thanked Governor Fintiri for his generosity and commitment by sponsoring a considerable number of Christian faithful for the 2024 pilgrimage to Jordan and Israel.
In his goodwill messages, Adamawa State CAN Chairman, Rev Dr Joel Manzo, urged Christians to serve both God and humanity, and advised the intending pilgrims to pray for the leaders of the state and the country.
The Executive Secretary of the Adamawa State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Mr Geoffrey Garba, thanked the state Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, for making the pilgrimage exercise a success. He announced that a total of 180 people.
The pilgrims will start visiting Holy Sites in Jordan on Sunday before proceeding to Israel to continue the tour
