By Albert Akota Abuja
The federal government has obliged its West Africa neighbour Ghana to understudy its pilgrimage system in furtherance of its existing relationship.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Gida Mustapha who disclosed this yesterday when he received Ghanaian Minister of Religious and Chieftaincy Affairs delegation, led by the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission NCPC, Rev Tor Uja to his office said Nigeria and Ghana look like brothers and sister with a lot of similarity.
“I am happy you came to Nigeria to understudy our pilgrimage, when we started ours, we put everything under ministry of foreign affair, we did not relegate it but put a lot of effort, I believed a lot are here for you to learn, our pilgrimage commission is created by parliament.
“Nigerians are highly mobile, we move to places because our constitution allows us to live any part of the country and any part of the world.
“I believed Nigeria peculiarity will suit your country, we are together as brothers and sisters, together in west together in AU and others but the only time we have rivalry is during soccer, “he noted.
Speaking earlier, the Ghanaian Minister for Religious and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Samuel Kofi Dzamesi who is in Abuja on three days working visit with seven man delegation said Ghana has one hundred and fourteen challenges just last and far behind Nigeria in pilgrimage system.
Dzamesi said that the three days would enable them to carrying out the study as part of its pilgrimage events lined up to achieve the success Nigeria has achieved over the years.
According to him, “We decided from our ministry and informed our president, Nana Akufo-Addo who is much interested in pilgrimage.
“Nigeria started pilgrimage sometime back, we have been very interested in the way the country has gone about the administration of pilgrimage to the holy land. Last year we decided to embark on general pilgrimage to Israel and other holy cities, and we have been able to do the first pilot programme.
“Ghana and Nigeria have the same situation, and if our brothers have taken the lead, to be able to solve certain problems, we don’t have to start by fixing those problems, but to understudy and learn from their challenges.”
