26th December, 2014
A group, Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), on Friday urged the three tiers of government to wash their hands off the yearly sponsorship of thousands of Nigerians to religious pilgrimages.
The Chairman of CLO, Anambra Branch, Comrade Aloysius Attah, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Onitsha that a sum of about N14.93 billion goes into such exercises annually.
He contended that Nigeria, being a secular state, should desist from such sponsorship, especially now that the country’s earnings are gradually dwindling by the day.
“We call for the total scrapping of government funding of religious pilgrimages in Nigeria. Nigerians are so religious, but yet we refuse to imbibe the teachings of the various religions in our conduct.
“Yearly, about 110,000 pilgrims are sponsored to Mecca and Jerusalem, where about N14.93 billion are wasted on such exercise.
“While it is not our intention to cast aspersions on the integrity of the supposed pilgrims, it is an open secret that such pilgrimages have been turned to jamborees and political patronage.
“Through them, those who are government cronies, apologists and other relationships are selected to benefit at the expense of the collective treasury of the people,” Attah said.
The activist said even though the issue was discussed at the National Confab, it was expedient that federal and state governments take the bull by the horns now.
“Governments at all levels must stay away from any form of sponsorship of both Christian and Muslim pilgrims without further delay. There are so many avenues where the huge sum expended on this can be channeled to, to touch the lives of Nigerians positively.
“Let those who are so passionate to travel several miles abroad to go and pray for Nigerians and to do their personal spiritual exercise, which according to them is another pre-condition for making heaven, do so at their own expense.
“Then, we will know the truly committed ones among them,” he said.