Insecurity prevents Christians from Kaduna to travel to Jerusalem on pilgrimage ― CAN

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State chapter has said insecurity in the state has affected faithful from performing the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

The Chairman of the religious body, Rev Joseph Hayab made the assertion when he hosted the Executive Secretary, Kaduna State Pilgrim Welfare Agency, Mallam Yusuf Yakub Arrigarayyu who paid him a courtesy call on Tuesday.

Speaking, Hayab posited, “The issue of going to pilgrimage, to us at CAN is not the priority, but our priority is how can people be secured and live peacefully in the state.

He said Christians in Kaduna State paid a huge sum of money to bandits, saying,” l can’t see a group of Christians that have paid bandits millions of naira to again sponsor themselves to Jerusalem for pilgrimage. It is not about going to Jerusalem but it is about the restoration of peace in the state.

“Today, people think it is well in Kaduna, but we have just stopped talking about the kidnapping. You know very well that every day, things are happening. What we want now is how can we work together to restore peace in Kaduna and stop the pretence and face the reality of what is happening around us.”

The CAN state chairman stated that the Church wants every agency in the state to effectively work but lamented that the people are sick because of insecurity all over the state.

“Offerings that come from churches end up paying bandits as ransoms for the release of their loved ones, with all that is happening, Christians find it very difficult to go to Jerusalem for pilgrimage.”

On the establishment of the pilgrim agency, he explained, “It is the conventional practice worldwide and according to law and practice that if you want to do anything that you want to establish an agency by law, you don’t do it by being coercive means, you will ask the state House of Assembly by sending a bill. The House will have a first or second reading and then have a public hearing.

“We are stakeholders, a letter will be written to us and we will come as stakeholders and give our contributions on the issue supporting or against the establishment of the agency, then the House will vote, but in Kaduna, we are not being governed by law but by coerce and whatever is given to us, we take it and nobody will talk.”

“So many things have happened in the state, sometimes, we talk, sometimes, we don’t talk as if we don’t know and the establishment of the pilgrim welfare agency is one of such.”

Rev. Hayab lamented that it is an agency for both Christians and Muslims but noted that almost all the Directors are of the same faith, saying, “and you wonder if the state government thinks that the Christians are fooled by not knowing what is happening. We should stop deceiving each other and fear God because, in all we do, there is God’s judgment.”

He added that the reason Christians no longer go on pilgrimage is that they are at the receiving end of the banditry.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary, Kaduna State Pilgrim Welfare Agency, Mallam Yusuf Yakub Arrigarayyu who was on a visit to the state CAN headquarters, said he was concerned with the small number of Christians performing pilgrimage to Jerusalem from the state, hence, the visit to CAN.

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