FG to sign BASA with Israel soon

By Obinna Emelike of Business Day Online

Anyim Pius Anyim, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, has promised that the signing of the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the State of Israel would be concluded soon.  

Anyim disclosed this recently in Abuja during the submission of the 2011 Christian Pilgrimage Report to Israel, Greece and Rome to the Presidency by the board and management of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC).

“I have noted the challenges, I will put up more efforts so that BASA is concluded,” he said.

The SGF who commended NCPC for a hitch free pilgrimage exercise last year urged members of the Board and Management Staff not to rest on their oars to ensure a hitch-free pilgrimage exercise this year.

Anyim stressed that he had great confidence in the Commission because of the calibre of members of the Board who are guided by the spirit of God to direct the affairs of the Commission.

Earlier, while presenting the 2011 Christian Pilgrimage Report to the SGF, Nicholas Okoh, chairman, NCPC Board, gave a brief rundown of the 2011 pilgrimage exercise.

On the lingering BASA issue, Okoh told the SGF that the issue was still pending and posed a great challenge which, according to him, was “the reason the second Carrier TAT Nigeria Limited could not fly.” In the report, Okoh recommended that the process for the approval of the BASA agreement be expedited between Nigeria and the Israeli Authorities.

The report also decried the late payment and restricted financial support by some state governments to Christian Pilgrimage activities, despite continued sensitisation and advocacy initiatives of the Commission.

He explained that the ceremony for the airlift of 2011 Christian Pilgrimage was flagged off at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, adding that the Commission made use of five airports for the airlift of pilgrims last year, namely- Abuja, Lagos, Port-Harcourt, Uyo and Gombe.

The chairman, who is also the primate, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, stated that for the first time this year, the Commission successfully took Christian Pilgrims to Greece in addition to Israel, Sinai in Egypt and Rome.

“The exercise successfully extended to Greece in order to capture the notable works of Apostle Paul during his first and second missionary journeys to Corinth, Thessalonica and later Ephesus.”

The NCPC Act of 2007 requires the Commission to submit the report of the pilgrimage exercise to the Presidency not later than three months after pilgrimage.

The total number of pilgrims that performed the Holy pilgrimage last year was 17,588.

The Chairman of NCPC Board, John Kennedy Opara, executive secretary, NCPC, and all the six Federal Commissioners as well as management staff of the Commission were at the SGF office to present the 2011 Christian pilgrimage Report.