In the sponsorship of religious pilgrimages, the Gombe state government has, in recent times, played its role creditably. Last year, it sponsored over 200 Christian pilgrims to Israel, the Holy Land. JEDIDAH SILAS KIMAN, in this piece, discusses the reasons the Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo-led administration attaches so much importance to such religious exercise.
Holy pilgrimage to Israel dates back to the 4th Century where Christian pilgrims devote themselves to prayers and supplications, visiting spiritual and historical sites, particularly in Israel, and other Holy cities across the globe.
While looking into Christian pilgrimage in Gombe state, reports made available to Blueprint by the Gombe State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board (CPWB) revealed that the state government had been the major sponsor of all pilgrimage exercises since the state was created, and
has continues to enjoy such support through successive governments till the current administration’s.
Chairman, Gombe State Christian Welfare Board, Dr Abdu Buba Maisheru (Mai Tangle 15th), who doubles as the chairman, Northern Christian Traditional Rulers, disclosed during farewell ceremony in respect of the 2016 pilgrims in Gombe, that the board has continued to enjoy
tremendous support from the state government.
He also noted that the continued sponsorship of pilgrimage activities by the state government, despite economic hardship, was a sign of government’s commitment towards promoting peace, progress and religious tolerance among the diverse groups in the state.
He said holy pilgrimages to Israel form an important aspect of Christian life, as they provide life time-changing experience through spiritual encounters with the physical aspects of what was written in the scriptures, improve knowledge, and promote Godly behaviour among the people.
Pilgrimage as a tool for peace, progress
Raising concerns about the need for lasting peace and security in the region and the country at large, the theme for the state’s 2016 Christian pilgrimage to Israel, was tagged “Pilgrimage of Peace and Progress in Gombe and Nigeria.”
According to Maisheru, pilgrims usually devote much of their time to prayers for the peace and progress of the state in particular and the country in general while in the Holy Land.
The Deputy Governor, Dr Charles Iliya, stated in an interview with Blueprint in Israel, that the pilgrimage exercise was dominated by prayers and worships, with eminent focus on peace and security in the state and in all parts of the country.
Boundary/communal clash in Gombe south
The lingering communal and boundary clashes bedeviling the southern part of Gombe was the highest prayer point during the recent pilgrimage exercise.
The Board chairman, the state Acting Secretary to the State Government and other top government functionaries who took part in the pilgrimage exercise, expressed worry over the lingering crisis, even as they called on the pilgrims to pray for reconciliation among aggrieved parties as they tour through Sites in the Holy Land.
Iliya, who was also the leader of the pilgrims to Israel, said the exercise was expected to bring spiritual revival and peaceful coexistence among the people as well as bringing permanent solution to the insecurity situation in the state.
Encouraging self-sponsorship
With a view to further improving on the benefits of the annual holy exercise, the deputy governor said “soon, a workable device would be put in place in order to encourage self-sponsorship to the holy lands.”
“I have had a discussions with the board chairman in order to make sure that immediately after this year’s pilgrimage, we will devise a means of encouraging people to start saving towards self-sponsorship,” he said.
According to him, the effort would work towards ensuring increase in the number of pilgrims in addition to complementing government’s yearly sponsorships.
“There are states that have not been able to sponsor this exercise; even the federal government is having problems doing that, and so, we will ensure that we complement this effort in a possible way we can.”
Agricultural pilgrimage
As part of an effort to expand exploration of the religious pilgrimages, the deputy governor, in an interview with journalists in Gombe, disclosed that “soon, pilgrimage may go beyond the spiritual benefits.”
He said learning of agricultural skills in addition to the spiritual obligation could serve the state better.
He noted that the Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo-led administration had been sponsoring Christian pilgrimages over the years, and that agricultural pilgrimage “has been on the agenda, and would soon be perfected.”
Take-home lessons from Israel
Looking into what could be derived from the lessons learnt from the host country, Mr. Rambi Ibrahim Ayala, a member of the Gombe state House of Assembly, representing Billiri Constituency, was of the opinion that Israel’s potential in agriculture and tourism could be copied as a take-home lesson for the benefit of the state, and, indeed, Nigeria.
Ayala noted that Gombe “is endowed with many historic sites and monuments which can be harnessed into something useful in order to provide alternative from the federal government’s allocation for the state’s economic growth.”
He stressed that the theme for the Pilgrimage “came at a time when efforts were being made to bring an end to the lingering communal and boundary clashes, and insecurity in the state and some parts of Nigeria.”
Also, on his part, the member representing Pero-Chonge constituency in the House of Assembly, Mr. Buba Yakubu, said “people engaging in religious pilgrimages should be able to copy the good lessons they have learnt to bring healing for their home country.”
According to him, pilgrims should be able to complement government’s efforts on the yearly sponsorships “by exhibiting true loyalty to their states and their home country.”