FG Dumps Jerusalem, Adopts Jordan As Christian Pilgrimage Destination

The Federal Government has adopted the Kingdom of Jordan as a new permanent Christian pilgrimage destination.

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Reverend Yakubu Pam, disclosed this during a meeting with the Jordanian Minister of Tourism and Antiques, Nayef Alfayez.

A statement released by the NCPC media office on Monday quoted Pam as saying that the shift was meant to boost Nigeria’s relationship with the Arab nation.

It added that the shift would also focus on improving diplomatic relations with the Middle-East country in the areas of peace, tourism, agriculture and technology.

“The commission in the past had three pilgrimage destinations which are: Israel, Rome and Greece. But now Jordan has been officially added to our pilgrimage destinations,” he said.

Speaking also, the Jordanian Minister, Alfayez, commended the federal government for considering and adding the holy sites in Jordan as viable pilgrimage destinations.

Alfayez explained that the peaceful co-existence between the Christians and the Muslims was the greatest value Jordan cherished as an Islamic nation.

In a remark, the Nigerian Ambassador to Jordan, Faruk Yabo, solicited more cooperation in the area of visa procurement to enable more Nigerians to have the opportunity to visit Jordan so as to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the two countries.