By Abujah Racheal
Abuja – The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Rev.Tor Uja has called on the Israeli government to invest more in Nigerian economy.
Uja made the call in a statement signed by Mr Celestine Ogugua, Head Media, NCPC, on Wednesday in Abuja.
The statement quoted Uja as speaking during a send-off luncheon organised by the Israeli Embassy in Nigeria for the outgoing Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Guy Feldman.
“There is need for the Israeli government to invest massively in the economy of Nigeria as a way of boosting the robust bilateral relationships between both countries.
“The Israeli government should see the need to invest extensively in areas like Agriculture, Technology, Education and Grants for technological development.
“The deliberation strategy on investments in Nigeria will help to further strengthen the existing relationship between Israel and Nigeria,” he said.
Uja, however, urged them to understand Nigeria better, and operate in the country with the perspectives of international diplomacy and not from their own history or perspectives.
He further called on the Israeli government to develop a more fundamental relationship with the Church in Nigeria.
He affirmed that they should as a matter of diplomacy engage the Nigerian Church more as it believes so much in Israel.
According to him, Israel for the sake of diplomacy should strengthen its relationship with the Nigerian Church.
The NCPC helmsman thanked the outgoing Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Feldman, for believing in Nigeria and for speaking so positively about Nigeria.
He also thanked him for maintaining good relationship with the commission and wished him well in all his future endeavours.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Israel remains a strategic stakeholder in Christian pilgrimage and it is the major pilgrimage destination for pilgrims.
“Every year, Nigeria Pilgrims as well as the Church in their thousands look up to performing Holy pilgrimage in Israel, the land of their faith and the land of the Bible.
The NCPC has enjoyed a good working relationship with Israel, being the only agency of government with the mandate to organise and coordinate the movement of Nigerian Christians on Holy pilgrimage to Israel and other Holy sites around the world.
(NAN)
