...Clears N96m NCPWB debt
Benue State Government has gone into partnership with the Isreali Government through the Benue State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board (BCPWB) to train Benue youths in Agriculture and other areas.
The Chairman, BCPWB, Rev. Fr Michael Meladu, disclosed this when members of the State Working Committee (SWC) of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Benue State Council, led by the Chairman, Comrade Bemdoo Ugber, paid him a courtesy call in his office.
According to the Chairman, the partnership was aimed at ensuring that pilgrims whontravel to the Holy Land gain not just spiritual benefits but also human resource development as beneficiaries are expected to return home and replicate the knowledge acquired.
Speaking on government’s efforts at ensuring that Benue people embark on pilgrimage, Fr Meladu recalled that prior to the coming on board of the Alia administration, christians in the state could not embark on the exercise for three consecutive years.
This he said was as a result of the N96m debt owed National Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board
by past administration.
He further disclosed that
Governor Alia had cleared the debt paving the way for seventy-eight pilgrims to travel last year even as he expressed optimism that more christians will be given the opportunity in subsequent batches.
The Chairman who noted that sponsoring contingents to the holy land requires a lot of funds, disclosed that the Board is looking outside the Box to create other sources of income to enable it augment what the government does.
“Already, I have briefed the Governor on the need to establish a kindergarten facility of international standard, which when completed, will become a revenue generating entity that will help the board execute other projects”, he stated.
While expressing the Board’s readiness to partner with the Union so as to propagate it’s activities to the larger society, Fr Meladu promised to look into the request to allocate some slots to journalists to embark on the spiritual journey.
Earlier, the Chairman Nigeria Union of Journalists, Comrade Bemdoo Ugber described the appointment of Fr. Michael Meladu as the Chairman of the Board as a result of his pragmatic and dogged style of leadership he had acquired over time.
According to Comrade Ugber, since the coming on board of Fr Meladu, the Christian Pilgrimage Welfare Board has taken a new shape, having led Benue State contingents on pilgrim to Jerusalem for spiritual growth after a long period of time.
“It was on the basis of your hard work that the State Working Committee of NUJ came to seek partnership in order to keep members of the public abreast of the activities of the board”, Ugber declared.
The NUJ chairman therefore, requested the Board to consider allocating slots to journalists to also embark on pilgrimage to the holy land not just to rejuvenate their spiritual lives but also use the avenue to publicise pilgrimage activities for people at home to have a clear picture of what happens during such visits.
