Benue State Governor, Mr. Gabriel Suswam, has disclosed that a bill to amend both the Christian and Muslim Pilgrims’ boards to provide for tenure has been forwarded to the state House of Assembly for consideration.

He spoke while receiving the 2007 Christian Pilgrimages report in his office at Government House in Makurdi.

Six hundred and ninety nine persons embarked on the 2007 trip  to the holy land, most of them sponsored by the state government.

Governor Suswam explained that the new law would make provision for a specific tenure for the chief executive and members of the boards in order to forestall a situation where people had held such offices in perpetuity.

‘This would enable others to get the opportunity to also make their contributions to the progress of the state,’ he said.

Governor reiterated the resolve of his administration to phase out sponsorship of both pilgrimages in line with the federal government’s policy.

He announced that the phasing out would be done in consultation with religious bodies in order to ensure that only deserving people embark on the pilgrimage.

Mr. Suswam stated that experience has indicated that most people who embarked on the exercise regarded it as a shopping and holiday trip instead of meditating and reflecting on their lives during the trip.

Presenting the report earlier, Secretary of the board, Mrs. Betty Agber, described the last pilgrimage as a huge success.

‘The exercise was successful because no one absconded, the pilgrims were of good behaviour, there were few cases of sickness and no deaths,’ she stated.

She said the report was in three segments of general organization, sites visited as well as observations and recommendations.

Mrs. Agber commended the governor for being the first in the country to release funds for the exercise a development which she said enabled the state to participate in the flag off of the year’s pilgrimage in Abuja .

The Secretary announced that the state government’s agent during the pilgrimage, Emmanuel Tours conferred an award for outstanding achievement in organization and performance on her which she dedicated to the governor who she said made the award possible.