We have restored credibility to the pilgrimage system — Bishop Adegbite

Bishop Stephen Adegbite, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), tin rightly beryllium described arsenic a workaholic fixed the fig of things helium does for God, the Nigerian authorities and humanity.

But helium remains calm and unperturbed adjacent with the immense responsibilities placed connected his shoulders. Apart from being the Executive Secretary of the NCPC, helium is besides the chaplain of the Presidential Villa, the Chairman of Lagos State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigerian (CAN) and the Bishop of Ikeja Diocese of the Methodist Church Nigeria. In each of these positions, what gives Adegbite joyousness and restitution is being capable to service God and humanity faithfully and giving succour to the radical helium comes crossed successful the people of his work. Having taken implicit the affairs of the NCPC successful February 2024, helium has introduced galore measures and policies into the workings of the assemblage to marque it much responsive, transparent and accountable to the radical and by truthful doing springiness a caller representation to the committee astatine location and abroad. In this interview, Adegbite says helium has sanitized the NCPC and fixed a caller lease of beingness to the Nigerian pilgrimage system. He enjoins Nigerians to spot pilgrimage arsenic a axenic a spiritual workout and not a jamboree.

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor

Let maine inquire you a wide question.

You came into bureau past year. What person you been capable to bash otherwise from what you met connected presumption of duties?

I tin accidental that I person done a batch of things to alteration the mode things were present astatine the NCPC. Number one, I’ve been capable to guarantee that procurement Act is ne'er violated. Before now, determination was thing similar that. The radical who were present earlier now, were conscionable doing things the mode they wanted without due readying and implementation successful accordance with extant rules of the government. We person efficaciously stopped that and introduced a transparent and accountable strategy that has brought sanity to the full process of pilgrimage and fixed america the credibility we request arsenic a captious bureau of authorities saddled with the work of taking radical connected planetary Christian journeys twelvemonth by year. Upon my appointment, I decided to bash things otherwise knowing that I americium nether authorization and I indispensable obey the authorization that enactment maine here. I’m not present connected my own. They told maine what I indispensable bash and I signed that I would do. So the archetypal happening was to get that done. But astir importantly, we started with God. I came into this bureau during the Lent. I’m a bishop, the archetypal to inhabit this seat.  That is wherefore we started with God and we beryllium connected Him for his guidance and absorption regular arsenic Christians isolated from the imaginativeness we have. We are blessed for the benignant of enactment we besides get from the authorities that sent america here. When Mr. President provided enactment for the Hajj Commission, we besides wrote and our petition was granted. So that became a alleviation to us. And erstwhile I came, the morale of the unit was precise debased owed to galore factors and I person been capable to alteration each of that for their ain benefit, and they are precise blessed and motivated to enactment successful their best. Before I go the ES of the NCPC, unit members were not allowed to spell connected pilgrimage and erstwhile they spell astatine all, they were not paid their entitlements successful summation to different injustice done to them by the erstwhile system. Others were victimized implicit sundry issues but I person been capable to resoluteness each of the unit matters and springiness them their dues and they are blessed with what we are doing and are present precise supportive. Importantly, too, we marque it a argumentation not to beryllium immoderate of our work providers. This has go a large breakthrough for us.  As our policy, our work providers are paid successful beforehand to alteration them to supply what is required connected clip and to forestall immoderate signifier of nonaccomplishment and disappointment during pilgrimage, whereas, successful the past, pilgrimage was tally connected credit. I tin archer you that I met a immense indebtedness of N3.8 cardinal connected this table. But I americium blessed to accidental that arsenic astatine contiguous we bash not beryllium anyone a kobo by the peculiar grace of God and we volition not privation to beryllium anyone anymore.

In caller times, pilgrimage has been overshadowed by reports of fraud and different undesirable events, including abscondment and illicit drugs. How person you been capable to steer the NCPC without these allegations?

 I deliberation it is based connected transparency and credibility of our strategy since I took implicit conscionable a small much than a twelvemonth ago. What we person done is to fto radical cognize however overmuch we are fixed and however overmuch we subsidise each pilgrims including the backstage operators. We brought successful the autarkic operators, who are besides Nigerians, into our operations...