The Federal Government said it would blacklist any agent who could not creditably perform its duties for pilgrims to the holy lands.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, issued the threat when he received Report of Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) for 2013 in Abuja on Tuesday
“If we have to achieve perfection, if we really have to sustain the progress already made, there shouldn’t be any room for indiscipline. If an agent is not able to perform creditably, that agent should be blacklisted.
“The agent will not only be suspended but should be blacklisted. I am sure that there are a number of people and number of agencies that can deliver on this job. So, anybody who shows no sign of capacity or competence should not be tolerated at the expense of the pilgrims.
“Everybody who prepared and paid for pilgrimage must have his or her expectations met. That will build confidence between the commission and the pilgrims. Everything must be done to sustain their confidence. If any agent is not performing, we will blacklist that agent and engage others to do the job. It is as simple as that’’, he said.
Anyim recalled that last year’s report on the pilgrimage indicated that no pilgrim absconded, adding that the commission should sustain that level of success.
He said the report indicated that some pilgrims delayed their journey for one reason or the other, but did not abscond.
“A pilgrim must ensure that he or she returned with his or her group. The journey is not an opportunity for shopping or engaging in something else that has nothing to do with the purpose of the event. The event is mainly for prayers. So, every other engagement should not be involved’’, he said.
Chairman of the commission, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, commended the Federal Government for taking the advantage of last year’s pilgrimage to sign the bilateral air services agreement with Israel.
Okoh said the agreement was one of the commission’s greatest contributions to the nation’s foreign policy.