Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Rev. Yakubu Pam, has said the commission would explore more holy sites in Turkey.
Pam disclosed this during a courtesy call by the Turkish Afrosume International Tour Operators at the NCPC corporate headquarters in Abuja recently.
The NCPC boss said the Act that established the commission enables it to explore holy sites around the world.
In his words, “The commission is saddled with the responsibility of coordinating and superintending Christian pilgrimage activities in Nigeria to holy sites around the world and NCPC has successfully explored and carried out pilgrimages in many holy sites and look forward to doing more.”
He further said the commission was able to explore the Kingdom of Jordan last year.
“We are into exploration of new holy sites around the world. We did it with Jordan, it was successful. Jordan is now part of pilgrimage programme of the commission.”
He added: “Turkey is next. We are happy we have started the process of exploration of new holy sites in Turkey.”
The NCPC scribe explained that Turkey has holy sites that Nigerian Christians would love to explore.
He said: “Nigerians would love to explore the church in Antioch where Christians were first called Christian, the house of Apostle Paul, the history of the seven churches and most of the Book of Revelation was in Turkey.”
Pam commended the diplomatic relationship between Turkey has with Nigeria and he believes that the relationship will further be strengthened by pilgrimage and tourism between the two countries.
Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation, Ms. Idil Saguni, said they were in the commission as a follow-up visit to further strengthen and continue the process that had earlier started while the executive secretary was in Turkey and to also look at the possibility of NCPC coordinating a pilgrimage to Turkey.
She further informed the executive secretary that Turkey is safe for pilgrimage and her group is one of the known largest tour operators in that country.
