Concerned by the need to boost Nigeria’s image globally, the Lagos State Government has warned hundreds of intending Christian pilgrims to refrain from acts that could jeopardise the nation’s interest and corporate image.

The government stated that going on pilgrimage is not a jamboree but a spiritual birth for the citizens, saying your stay in the country is strategic to the development of any nation.

The Lagos State Pilgrims Welfare Board (LSPWB) Secretary, Gbolabo Omoniyi Okuderu, cautioned the intending pilgrims ahead of their airlifting on Wednesday during medical and administrative screening in Ikeja.

Okuderu noted they are ambassadors of the nation, particularly Lagos state, whose conduct would be measured not by their personality but by the nation.

“Going on pilgrimage is not a jamboree. And that all pilgrims must be good ambassadors of the country because you do not represent yourself, but Nigeria,” he said.

He added that after returning from the pilgrimage to Nigeria, they should sustain the attitudinal change and character rebranding.

He urged the pilgrims to engage in pocket-friendly shopping to avoid extravagant spending while in the holy land.

He said: “Please, I implore you to travel light and do not get to the holy land and start buying items that will later become burdens to you, because when the luggage is too heavy, you may end up dropping them at the airport while leaving for Nigeria.

“Also, ensure that they remain with the group they left from the country to Israel."

On the screening exercise, the Board secretary explained that the process assists the government in preparing the intending pilgrims for the journey.

“The administrative and medical screening is one of the key requirements needed for every pilgrim to participate in ahead of their travel to Israel.

“It will definitely help the government to ascertain the administrative and medical status of the intending pilgrims from the state. Without this screening, one could be assured that there will be hitches that could prevent the pilgrimage.

“This is because we need to know the health status of the intending pilgrims to know which area we need to address with respect to their health, while the administrative screening will help us to address the documentation aspect of the journey. We know that without this screening, the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) will not approve the journey”. (Nation)