Crucify me I do not care, but if I was a Nigerian
Governor, I will stop government's sponsorship of
pilgrimage. I cannot really understand exactly
why poor African governments will be transferring
money to rich Saudi Arabia and rich Israel yearly
in the name of pilgrimage.
I can only do that if the Saudi or Israeli
government signs a pact with my government
such that for every pilgrim sponsored by my
government, an equivalent worth of development
is transferred to my land. I mean if I send
pilgrims to Israel, Israel for example can send
agricultural technology to my state. Simple!
You do not expect me to pay hundreds of millions
to Saudi Arabia or Israel just so my people could
go and bring stones, salts, muds from the red
Sea, unleavened bread, mustard seeds... Come
on!
If my people really want stones to touch, muds to
rub and sights to see, I will rather convert the
annual budget for pilgrimage into creating a
replica of the Israeli stones, muds and seas in my
state - a mini Israel in my state and call CAN to
dedicate it for use. God is in my state too!
Pilgrims are pilgrims, whether Jerusalem Pilgrim
(JP) or Etinan Pilgrim (EP).
Capital flights must be reduced as much as
possible!
Victor jerry Emah expressing his own imperfect opinion.
Beneath are the few comments from the future leaders of our grate Nation Nigeria.
Barrister Toyo:
share your sentiments, my friend. It has always
been my view that government should withdraw
from sponsorship of pilgrimage on the following
bases:
Firstly, religion should be a personal thing and
not state-sponsored. Thus, it should be an
individual who should bear the cost of
propagating, promoting, etc., his beliefs.
Government should not get involved.
Secondly, closely related to the first point is the
second which is that state and religion should be
separated. The fusion of state and religion is
giving rise to some of the problems we witness in
this nation. United Kingdom that colonised us
decades ago saw the need to separate state from
religion some time ago and it is working well for
them. United States also from time immemorial
has been doing same.
Thirdly, it is my humble view that it is
discriminatory when the government of the day
gives support to Christians and/or Muslims, but
leave behind practitioners of African Traditional
Religion (ATR). Shouldn't we consider African
traditionalists in the scheme of things after all
the Constitution encourages our government to
be secular?
Fourthly, it is yet to be established, officially or
unofficially, the extent to which pilgrimage has
advanced a pilgrim's faith. It must be noted that
some pilgrims do not appreciate the spiritual
significance of pilgrimage. I once recently talked
to a friend and he confessed to me that when he
went on pilgrimage, he was only out there to
have fun. So, to what spiritual value is pilgrimage
to such person?
Fifthly, the huge sum of money expended on
pilgrimage annually would have been used to
develop our nation (that's if corruption would
have allowed), build and promote our rich
traditional heritage and culture (and that would
have made Nigeria a tourist attraction where
others would be visiting).
I know this may seem an unpopular view in that
religion is a very sensitive issue. But it is my
strong view that government should withdraw its
sponsorship of pilgrimage. Let individuals be the
ones who use their money to satisfy that their
spiritual need (if pilgrimage even qualifies as a
spiritual need).
Nigerians generally seem to be very religious, but
it is only very few Nigerians that truly practises
the tenets of their religions.
Ogaga Solomon:
My brother, this is one of the modern ways
Africans underdeveloped Africa. God is watching
them. Like you i did my own pilgrimage in Aokpe
some where in Benue State. AP is my title and I'm
happy.
What is your own take on this topic? God bless you as you ponder and come up with a viable and logical way to salvage our country Nigeria from a wastage of this magnitude. Thank you for I remain
Ofonime Ikpe
