The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), has advised the Federal Government to pay greater attention to youths because they are its greatest asset.
This is contained in a statement signed by Head Media, Mr Celestine Ogugua and in Abuja on Wednesday
The statement stated that Rev.Tor Uja, the NCPC Executive Secretary, gave the advice when he received the Allies Youth Transformation Initiative in his office.
Uja said that the greatest asset any nation had was its youths and any nation without vibrant youths was a lost nation.
“God has blessed this country with a cream of youths that are both energetic and intelligent, Nigeria is the most endowed nation on the earth,” he said.
He charged Nigerian youths to rise up and demonstrate good character and conduct as well as a healthy mental capacity that could only sustain a healthy spiritual mentality.
“They should see what Christ can do for them, lay hold of it and grab it,’’ he said.
Uja urged them to be involved in development programmes through education, agriculture, Investment and advocacies.
According to him, Nigeria has sufficient institutions for learning and training that every desirous person can engage themselves.
He called on government and leaders of the church to engage more youths in its development programmes in order to make them more responsive.
“I believe that an idle man can also bring forth good ideas if given the chance.’’
The executive secretary told the group that the commission had a special programme for the youths called “youth pilgrimage”
It further hinted that NCPC would introduce a special programme called “farmers pilgrimage” which would likely take off this year.
“The commission is running a special pilgrimage for the youths and I will like every young person to work hard to participate in the youth pilgrimage.”
He said the commission was doing everything possible to ensure that more people were given the opportunity to go on pilgrimage.
Uja said that part of the effort was to slash the cost so that every Christian would go on pilgrimage despite the economic situation of the country.
He gave assurance that the commission would continue to strive to ensure that pilgrimage was not mere social event but spiritually filled and very impactful.
The Coordinator of the association, Mr Peter Tsue, congratulated Uja on his well deserved and timely appointment.
“Your appointment came at a time that Nigeria is in dire need of quality, honest trustworthy, dependable and incorruptible men and women that will drive the change agenda,’’ Tsue said.
Tsue said that Uja was a role model for the youths in Nigeria, charged him to ensure that pilgrimage to the Holy Land was beyond tourism. (NAN)