Kwara state is beating its chests with claims that it has sponsored the highest number of pilgrims to Jerusalem in the last pilgrimage and also became the first to have its pilgrims visit sites of the ancient Greece.

According to the state's Deputy Governor, Elder Peter Kisira who made the disclosure during a Thanksgiving service for the 2011 Pilgrims from the state held at the Emmanuel Baptist Church, Ilorin by the development, Kwara  has taken the sponsorship of Christians on pilgrimage to a height never attained before in the state. According to Kisira, the high number of pilgrims was informed by the belief of the incumbent administration to treat all citizens of the state as equal irrespective of religious obligations and devotion. The state sponsored a total of 530 pilgrims during the last exercise.

He said there was thus need for all to continually pray for the success of the incumbent administration while giving the necessary support to ensure it succeeds in all its programmes and policies.
He said: "Let me reiterate that government exists to minister effectively to the needs of the citizenry, irrespective of creed or religious inclination. This explains why the present administration has taken Christian pilgrimage to a height never attained before in the history of the state. Not only that we sponsored the highest number of pilgrims n the history of the state alone, this year Kwara state sponsored the highest number of pilgrims to Rome and Greece throughout the federation."

"Let us eschew religious bitterness, acrimony and bigotry but rather imbibe religious tolerance, harmony and understanding", he said while commending the pilgrims for demonstrating good conduct and orderliness while on their trip. He said the state was very proud of them.
In his remarks at the service, the chairman of the state's Christians Pilgrims Board, Bishop Israel Amao expressed delight that Kwara was the first state in the country to visit Greece on pilgrimage and commended the state government for breaking what he described as a jinx in the history of Christian pilgrimage in the state.

Meanwhile,  while receiving the pilgrims in his office, governor Abdulfatah Ahmed called on Nigerians to see their various differences as source of strength  and useful for building a strong and virile nation. He said religious adherents must see themselves as partners –in progress in order o continually avoid religious crisis.

"It is not by accident that we are together, it is by choice of providence", the governor said, adding: "so we have to respect individual differences so as to live together in peace and harmony. The idea of pilgrimage is to go through spiritual and mental training and equally have the idea of how worshipping is being carried out over there."
While asking the pilgrims to practice what they have learnt from the holy land on a daily basis, Ahmed promised to ensure a conducive environment for all religious adherents in the state without discrimination.