Gombe Gov Explains Non-participation of Christians in 2019 Pilgrimage

Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has given reasons why the Christian community in the state missed out of last year's pilgrimage to Israel.

The governor had come under heavy criticism for unequal treatment of different religious adherents which resulted in failure of the state government to sponsor Christian pilgrimage to Israel in 2019.

But the governor, while receiving the Christian faithful, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House in Gombe on Monday, said: "As a Muslim, I held the Qur'an and swore to do justice to all people, and so, if I do otherwise, I will face God and be held responsible for my actions."

According to Yahaya, who hosted the Christian community on a Christmas and new year homage last Thursday, his administration met a huge debt of over N280 million inherited from the immediate-past administration for previous pilgrimage exercises which needed to be cleared.

He told Christians that pilgrimage to Israel from Gombe State had been a yearly programme in the past, and vowed that his administration would continue with it.

 

The governor, therefore, promised that "since we couldn't make it for the 2019 pilgrimage, I assure you that we will not miss the 2020 Easter pilgrimage."

While expressing his happiness over the relative peace being enjoyed in the state which he said was the reason why there is an influx of people from neighbouring insurgency ravaged states, he called on the people of Gombe State to cooperate with security agents to keep the state peaceful, as he announced a donation of N10 million gift to the state Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

Earlier, the state Chairman of CAN, Rev Ibrahim Joda, who led other Christian faithful to the Government House, told the governor that there was no way Christians in the state will fight his government having played a prominent role in bringing the government to power.

He called on him to do justice to Muslims and Christians as well as all the three senatorial zones of the state.

The CAN chairman also called for a special prayer for the governor and his administration after which he presented a Holy Bible and Our Daily Manna (a Christian devotional book) to him, saying: "Read the Bible for yourself to prove everything about Christianity."