Concerned by the need to boost Nigeria’s image globally, the Lagos State Government has warned hundreds of intending Christian pilgrims to refrain from acts that could jeopardise the nation’s interest and corporate image.
The government stated that going on pilgrimage is not a jamboree but a spiritual birth for citizens, noting that the conduct of pilgrims during their stay abroad is strategic to the development and perception of any nation.
The caution was issued by the Secretary of the Lagos State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Gbolabo Omoniyi Okuderu, during the medical and administrative screening of intending pilgrims held in Ikeja ahead of their airlifting scheduled for Wednesday.
Okuderu stressed that the pilgrims are ambassadors of Nigeria and Lagos State in particular, explaining that their conduct would not be judged as individuals but as representatives of the nation.
“Going on pilgrimage is not a jamboree. And that all pilgrims must be good ambassadors of the country because you do not represent yourself, but Nigeria,” he said.
He added that pilgrims are expected to sustain positive attitudinal change and character rebranding even after returning from the pilgrimage to Nigeria.
The board secretary also advised the pilgrims to engage in pocket-friendly shopping and avoid extravagant spending while in the holy land.
He said: “Please, I implore you to travel light and do not get to the holy land and start buying items that will later become burdens to you, because when the luggage is too heavy, you may end up dropping them at the airport while leaving for Nigeria.
“Also, ensure that they remain with the group they left from the country to Israel.”
On the screening exercise, Okuderu explained that the process is designed to assist the government in adequately preparing intending pilgrims for the journey.
“The administrative and medical screening is one of the key requirements needed for every pilgrim to participate in ahead of their travel to Israel.
“It will definitely help the government to ascertain the administrative and medical status of the intending pilgrims from the state. Without this screening, one could be assured that there will be hitches that could prevent the pilgrimage.
“This is because we need to know the health status of the intending pilgrims to know which area we need to address with respect to their health, while the administrative screening will help us to address the documentation aspect of the journey. We know that without this screening, the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) will not approve the journey”.
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