The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) on Monday in Abuja, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Turkish and Israeli companies for the 2017 Christian pilgrimage operations.
The companies are: Tailor Made Tours (TMT) of Israel and Atlas Jet, a Turkish airline, which emerged as the preferred bidders for the 2017 Christian pilgrimage operations to the Holy Land.
TMT will handle ground operations including hotel accommodation, transportation and feeding of the pilgrims in Israel, while Atlas Jet Nigeria will handle flight to and from Israel.
Rev. Tor Uja, Executive Secretary, NCPC, signed the MoU on behalf of the commission, while Mr Ercument Filiz, Executive Director, Atlas Jet, signed for Atlas Jet and Mrs Josephine Zinder, President, TMT signed on behalf of the TMT.
Uja described the MoU as a good thing for Christian pilgrimage and the country.
“We are signing an agreement with an international set of people and they represent two countries and the contents include the services we expect and the kind of things we are expected to do.
“We have demanded in a contract that all Nigerian souvenir must be produced in the Nigerian colours; green white green.
“Nigeria must be conspicuously written on them whether bags, t-shirts, face caps or what ever materials because we are not ashamed of our country.
“We want to build a pilgrimage programme that is not only healthy but projects Nigeria in a glorious manner,’’ Uja said.
Also speaking, Mr Filiz, expressed the readiness and commitment of his company’s side of the bargain.
“We are committed to this operation. When we started first we use to operate from Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt.
“We have started operating from Gombe, Yola, Akwa-Ibom and Enugu so this means that we are developing, our country is developing and we are committed and with this we have success,’’ Filiz said.
On her part, Mrs Zinder promised to carry the Nigerian pilgrims along and give them the best of the company’s services.
She thanked the commission for giving TMT yet another privilege to serve Nigeria (NAN)
