The Plateau State former Speaker Istifanus Mwansat, on Monday urged government to redirect it focus from periodic sponsorship of pilgrims for spiritual tourism.
Mwansat who doubles as Special Adviser to Plateau State Governor on Special Duties made the plea at a one-day advocacy meeting with legislators of Gombe State House of Assembly on religious tolerance and human rights protection in Gombe.
Our correspondent reports that the meeting with the theme; ‘Empowering actors to promote peacebuilding, human rights, democracy and religious tolerance’, is a European Union co-founded project in partnership with Bread for the World implemented by TEKAN Peace Desk in Gombe State.
According to Mwansat, pilgrimage should be treated as a personal affair, instead of state, adding that citizens whom are not members of the two religions of Islam and Christians are left behind.
Mwansat who presented on understanding freedom of religion in Nigeria constitution and steps to actualising it said, “Funding of pilgrimages which is personal to every individual, you are doing great disservice to a larger percentage of the populace because even the larger numbers of both religions are offen times not beneficiaries.”
“Situations abound when you find people attend yearly because of access to authorities will go to the holyland to either Mecca or Jerusalem on government funding. For us to really practice religious freedom I think government should desist from funding of such because religion is a personal thing between you and God and if you feel very strongly that going on pilgrimage is a prerequisite for whatever you have to fund it yourself and allow government direct resources in other areas,” he added.
On her part, Coordinator of TPD Helen Philemon-Haggai, said the project is for a 30-month duration, adding that it implementation commenced since April 2023 to 2025.
She noted that the project is implemented in Kwami, Yalmatu-Deba and Billiri Local Government Areas two each of three LGAs, across six communities.
“From our discussion the issue of monitoring function should be taken seriously towards checking religious excesses. If you compare Gombe State to others states in the North there is relative peace and if you look at indices of development is higher in the state,” she added.
Also, Speaker Gombe State House of Assembly Abubakar Mohammed, said peace is a fundamental issue that is considered key in governance
