President Goodluck Jonathan will next week depart Nigeria for Israel in company with 19 state governors as part of the 2013 Christian Pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Jonathan, who was represented by Senate President David Mark, disclosed this yesterday at the inauguration of the October/December Christian pilgrimage to Israel, Rome and Greece, which took place at the local wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
He evaluated the history of pilgrimage in Nigeria and submitted that the hitherto spiritual exercise has lost its real essence as many Nigerians now see it as a leeway to engage in commercial activities.
The President lamented that even at a time when Nigerians are supposed to draw closer to God, they have continued to negate the spiritual essence of the trip, urging Nigerians to use pilgrimages as avenues to seek divine intervention in the affairs of the country.
He said: “In recent times, pilgrimage has lost its essence because many people have commercialised it.
“The current situation in the country demands that we all join hands to fight terrorism. We must not allow terrorism to derail us from delivering the dividends of democracy.
“We are fighting a serious battle but we are not alone.
Christ is with us and so we must put on the whole armour of faith.”
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