President Goodluck Jonathan said on Thursday in Abuja that the Federal Government would continue to sponsor holy pilgrimages in spite of criticisms in some quarters.
He stated this when he received the report of the Federal Government’s delegation to the 2013 Christians Pilgrimage at the Presidential Villa.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that the report was submitted by an 11-man delegation led by the President of the Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.
‘’Nigeria is a secular country and the popular wish of the majority is for government to keep supporting pilgrimage,’’ Jonathan said.
He, therefore, said that his administration would not deviate from the popular wish of the people for sponsorship to pilgrimages.
“Let me assure that government will continue to support our movement to the holy lands.
“Nigeria is a religious country and that is the only thing we have and that is why certain things we do other may criticise us but our people believe that, that is the best thing to do.
“As long as we believe that that is the best thing for our people, we have no hesitation to do what the people believe is right.”
The president faulted some state governors for lopsided sponsorship of pilgrimages and assured that the Federal Government would address the challenge of zero-sponsor of pilgrimage by some states.
He specifically directed the Vice-President to take up the matter with the affected governors.
“We believe that in all the 36 states, there is no state that we do not have people from different faiths, Christians and Muslims.
“Luckily, I and the Vice President were both governors before, and we knew what we did in our days as governors.
“States funds are general funds and the country is a secular society.
‘’Whether you are a Christian governor or a Muslim governor, you are spending money that belongs to all Nigerians.
“Assuming your state is 99.99 per cent Christians and even there is only one Muslim there, he has to be protected.
“At the same time, even if your state is 99.99 Muslim and there is only one Christian, that Christian needs to be protected.”
Jonathan said that the 2013 Christian Pilgrimage exercise was spectacular because he personally participated in it along with some state governors and ministers.
Source: Tribune
