Nobody can travel on pilgrimage without NCPC clearance, says Pam

By Albert Akota

The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Rev Dr. Yakubu Pam has declared that nobody travels on pilgrimage without clearance from the Commission.

The NCPC boss made this disclosure in Lagos during a recent p strategic meeting with the executives and members of the Christian Tourism Practitioners Association of Nigeria (CTPAN).

He explained that the NCPC enabling Act of 2007 empowers it to superintend and coordinates all Christian pilgrimage activities to the Holy Sites around the world.

He affirmed that the Commission works closely with the various state Christian pilgrims welfare Boards in the mobilization of intending Pilgrims.

The NCPC helmsman averred that screening of intending Pilgrims is critical not because of abscondment, but to also ensure and certify the medical fitness of every intending Pilgrim.

He decried the situation whereby some desperate intending Pilgrims go through the Association so that they could use such platform to abscond while on pilgrimage.

To this effect, he affirmed that the Commission’s policy on abscondment is stringent, and it will would stop at nothing to punish erring culprit, irrespective of status in the society.

Earlier, the President of the Christian Tourism Practitioners Association of Nigeria (CTPAN), Rev Dr. Israel Kristilere thanked the Executive Secretary for convening the meeting.

NASS MGT ready for induction of Senators, Reps members in June

By Christiana Ekpa

The National Assembly Management on Thursday evening disclosed that it’s fully prepared for the induction of the Members- Elect of the 10th Assembly ahead of the inauguration in June, 2023.

The NASS Secretary of Research & Information, and Chairman, Sub-Committee on Media and Publicity, Ali Barde Umoru, disclosed this in a statement he made available to NASS reporters in Abuja.

He said the Induction/ Inauguration exercise is to expose Members-Elect to the functions of the National Assembly, its

Practices and Procedures as well as the services available to them.

According to him:,”Following the conclusion of the Presidential and National Assembly elections, and the formal release of the authentic list of Senators and Honourable Members-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Management of the National Assembly, in conjunction with the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic studies (NILDS) is now fully prepared for the induction of the Members- Elect of the 10th Assembly ahead of the inauguration in June 2023.

“The Induction programme, which will be held in two batches, is scheduled to commence from the 7th to 13th of May 2023 with Batch A, while Batch ‘’B’’ will hold from May 14th to May 20th , 2023.

As part of the efforts to ensure a very successful Induction/ Inauguration exercise, the Management led by the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Alh.Sani Magaji Tambawal has constituted a Central Planning Committee (CPC) made up of all the Secretaries in the National Assembly Service. Membership was also drawn from the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) and the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS).

“The CPC, which is at the helm of the planning and implementation of the induction programme as well as the formal inauguration of the 10th Assembly, has the Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly (DCNA), Barrister Kamoru Ogunlana as Chairman. The CPC is divided into eleven (11) specialized sub-committees to enhance effectiveness, efficiency, monitoring and coordination.

“The Sub-committees include Programme Planning, Finance, Protocol and Ceremonials, Records and Documentation, Media and Publicity, Transport and Logistics, as well as Venue and Accommodation.

“Security and Accreditation, Health and Medical Services, Civil Society Organisations/

Development Partners and the Rapporteurs Team.

“The Sub-committees, which report at weekly intervals to the CPC have since swung into action, holding strategy sessions and perfecting plans for a successful induction exercise. In fact, the Sub-committees are presently crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s and rearing to go.

“It would be recalled that during the Inauguration of the CPC, the CNA Alhaji Tambawal who promised to deliver seamless Induction and Inauguration programmes, charged the members to put in their best and work as a united team towards the achievement of the desired objectives”.

Insurgency: Foundation calls for release of remaining Chibok girls, Leah Sharibu

Kalthum Foundation for Peace ( KFP), a charity organisation, has appealed to armed groups to release the remaining Chibok girls, Leah Sharibu and others that are still in their custody in the spirit of the Holy month of Ramadan.

The Chairperson of KFP, Amb. Ummu Kalthum Rabiu, made the appeal in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

Rabiu also called upon the families of the victims whose wards are now in their 14th year of captivity to keep hope alive and surrender to the will of Allah.

She also called upon the Federal Government of Nigeria to live up to its responsibility of ensuring security of lives and property, especially for innocent school girls.

“We are all witnesses to how governments and opposition armed groups in countries like Chad, Yemen, Niger and Ethiopia have used dialogue and mediation to negotiate for peace and the cessation of hostilities.

“It is against this backdrop that we are pleading with Boko Haram militants, ISWAP, and the federal government of Nigeria to come to the negotiation table and dialogue for peace.

“We call upon the 19 state governments in Northern Nigeria to provide adequate security for schools across their states,” she said.

KFP is a registered charity organisation based in Maiduguri that is in the forefront of using non-kinetic efforts to bring an end to the Boko Haram insurgency. (NAN)