Following a recent media report insinuating that the Executive Secretary of the Plateau State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Rev. Fr. George Gorap Rev. Father George Gorap in connivance with some staff of the ministry of lands survey and town planning without due process are selling government quarters at Pankshin to their families and cronies who claimed to have purchased the said housing estate.

In this interview with the NewsGate Magazine, NewsCrest Newspaper Jat HotNews Newspaper , Emerald Magazine, FrankNews Magazine, Ace News Online and Trust News Online; Rev. Fr. Gorap responds to the allegations of indiscriminate vandalization and illegal auctioning of Government estate in Pankshin Local Government Area of Plateau State by the Ministry of Land, Survey and Town Planning, Rev. Fr. Gorap expressed shock at the malicious allegation and called on mischief makers to desist from cheap blackmail. Excerpts: 


As the occupants of the Estate has raised the alarm that the Christian Pilgrimage Board Chairman ,Rev.Father George Gorap in connivance with some staff of the ministry of lands survey and town planning without due process connived to be selling government quarters at Pankshin to their families and cronies who claimed to have purchased the said housing estate .


Question: Kindly Introduce yourself for the sake of our esteem readers.


Answer:  My name is Reverend Father George Gorap, the Executive Secretary, Plateau State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board.

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Question: Do oblige the people of Plateau State, a rundown of your achievements, your challenges and prospects since assumption of office as the Executive Secretary of the Plateau State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board.


Answer:  Yes, since about four years ago, I assumed the office of the Executive Secretary of the Plateau State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board and it has been good and bad at the same time, because the challenges are enormous, considering the preparations that we had to make in other to take people up for pilgrimages year in year out. 

We're all aware that we are doing our best within the four years but because of the COVID we had little challenges and we couldn't make it as expected. But so far, we have been doing well in our work in the board. And I think for now Plateau State has been rated as the best in terms of population, in terms of quality of pilgrims in the whole country. So I think it is a good achievement for us. 

You know pilgrimage is an annual event, but because of the COVID we couldn't make it for the last two years. But we are grateful to His Excellency that he was able to work hard and were able to embark on pilgrimage last last year after COVID. So I think we're able to penetrate through that challenge. And apart from that, I think we're good. 


Question: Recently there has been talk about your involvement in Pankshin Low-cost houses. Can you clarify? 


Answer: Well, that came to me as a shock. It was a huge shock I must confess. I must say this, because first of all, I don't deal with land. I don't deal with houses. I am completely shocked at that someone wrote such a story.

The issue of sales of Government Low-cost houses in Pankshin is an issue that has been settled over 3years ago. I also know that this an issue that has been there for over three, four years that those places have been sold, and people have occupied them. And it is a long time deal. So I don't know what is coming up now. I don't know why they're after me. In any case, I was able to get a land there. And I'm trying to put up a structure in the past three years; as simple as that.


Question: Some staff of the College of Health Technology Pankshin are accusing you, the Head of Civil Service and the Plateau State Ministry of Lands and Town Planning, of trying to dispossess them of their low cost houses. How true is that?

Answer:  In all sincerity Sir, I don't know anything about that and I man no idea what connection I have to do with the Head of Service, neither do I have any dealings with the Ministry of Housing.

I mean, if they have a problem, they should know where to go and sort that out. For example, they should go to Lands and Survey and find out what the problem is and and also go to the Office of the aHead of Service, if there are issues they will want to take up.

But not to tarnish my image as a person. I think it is not worth it for me to read on the news about all this. I'm not part of this business. 


Question: Do you suspect blackmail?


Answer: Of course! To me, this is blackmail but I don't know what they are looking for. From me as a person. I know who I am. And I'm just surprised at how this whole issue is playing out.


Question: So what is the level of preparation for this year's holy pilgrimage to Israel, Jordan and Rome?


Answer: Well, you know, the times are hard, but His Excellency is trying. Recently we had a meeting with the SGS and we have looked at the economic strength of Plateau State, and we have agreed that since we went last year and we don't have what we call 'spill over' which normally is the case. So since we do not have that we're only looking up to the November - December annual pilgrimage. We hope that his excellency will consider that and then we'll prepare people to possibly go at least to pray now that he is rounding up his tenure.


Question: You are a strong advocate of self sponsorship for pilgrimage, how are churches and individuals responding? 


Answer: Well, recently, recently, we had a visitor from NCPC. He came and enlightened the staff and the board members on the same issue of self sponsorship of pilgrimage. We talked elaborately on the issue of self sponsorship and we have agreed that we should go to churches so that people would be aware that we don't need to wait for government sponsorship. We need to improve on that and see where churches and individuals can come in to supplement government's effort. We don't want a situation where one day government will say we're unable to sponsor and then the church will be will be abandoned. This is something we need to hand over to those coming behind us. It's a very serious matter, and we need to promote self sponsorship on the Plateau.


Question: The former Chairman of the Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board and the present Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission is two years in office. What is your wish for him?

Answer: Well, we have sent in our our congratulatory message from the board, and if you want to hear more, I will always say it. I know him very well; we have worked with him; he was our one time chairman of the board and I know that we have been visiting him at NCPC. 

He has been doing well. We are proud of him in Abuja. So once again, I want to congratulate him and to encourage him to do more. Let him know that he is our ambassador, the ambassador of the people of Plateau State too and we look up to him to hear his success stories.

In fact as it is we are very proud that after two years, he's able to make it this far. You'll notice that when it was difficult for us to go to Israel, he made it possible for us to go to other countries, which is a very big breakthrough. It's an achievement. This is something that ordinarily would have forgotten about it and wait for Israel. But this to me is something that we're grateful to God for his life.


Question: Lastly, do you have any local, national or international issue that bothers you that you feel should be addressed?

Answer: Politics. It's always our politics. We're worried about the future of our children and as a priests, you may say, I don't have a wife and children, but everybody in the church are my children. So when I see them happy, it makes me happy when they're not happy. I'm sad, just like you as a father behaves to your children at home. So I want to see a bright future and the only way we can do it is to encourage people to go for their PVC. That's the only power the common man is having. 

When we're able to do that, let us come on one mind whith the person that we think is capable, and let us support the person that is capable of giving us peace and all that the basics of life. So let us pray that this will work this time around. Thank you very much. God bless you.