Rejoinder To Efunbola Coker- A Pilgrimage Is Not A Holiday

we can see from your rejoinder that you are realy not of a sound mind,you are indeed not a good example of who an organisation representative should be,your response is carefree and laced with arrogance and pride...just hope you are not parading your self as a christian or "pastor" ,your case is a clear case of abtainig by false pretence,because Nigerians generally have a thick skin does not mean they should be treated with disdain at all times,in civilised society you owe her an appology or arefund of her hard earn fund.....what for crying out loud is your business with tourism or pilgrimage with this kind of attitude to you clients...........

I do not support any 'Christian Pilgrimage' as there is nothing like that in the Bible. Neither do I support the government wasting our oil money on a few (mostly rich), subsidizing any pilgrimage.Pilgrimage is not Govt's business.
1.Since a pilgrimage is not a holiday, why do you charge them a holiday rate? We buy return tickets to Nigeria from Toronto for as low as $1,300. How then are you paying $1,600 to get to Israel, for group tour? 2. You did not deny that the pictures the woman posted were not representative of the hotels you booked for them neither did you state the subsidy per pilgrim. Are you covering up something?3. Posted hotel rates are not cast in stone, when it is a group tour. Hotel rates are generally negotiable. especially for a group.Your rejoinder, betrays you and your employers as lacking in basic customer service. It is this kind of attitude by Nigerian officials that encourage foreigners to threat Nigerians with contempt.

It is surprising that the head of NCPC Mr John Kennedy Opara will be the one responding online to a complaint. It shows that the Organisation does not have a structure but run as someone's private business, as is always the case with institutions in Nigeria. Even if NCPC had done everything right and a client is dissatisfied, the best the organisation can do is to calm nerves and promise to look into the details of claims. Going by the reviews on the Savyonei_Hagalil_Hotel by their former clients, I am sorry to say that Mr Opara, you a complicit in the allegations leveled against NCPC. Mrs Coker sounded more believable than you, a "Christian Leader".
Any one interested can check out reviews on Savyonei_Hagalil_Hotel from this link.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g303972-d1499233-Reviews-Savyone...

It is surprising that the head of NCPC Mr John Kennedy Opara will be the one responding online to a complaint. It shows that the Organisation does not have a structure but run as someone's private business, as is always the case with institutions in Nigeria. Even if NCPC had done everything right and a client is dissatisfied, the best the organisation can do is to calm nerves and promise to look into the details of claims. Going by the reviews on the Savyonei_Hagalil_Hotel by their former clients, I am sorry to say that Mr Opara, you a complicit in the allegations leveled against NCPC. Mrs Coker sounded more believable than you, a "Christian Leader".
Any one interested can check out reviews on Savyonei_Hagalil_Hotel from this link.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g303972-d1499233-Reviews-Savyone...

Mr. Opara, You profess to be a christian leader and you treat people in this shabby manner. In the first place, I am of the opinion that the state has no business in sponsoring pilgrimage, whether for christians or for muslims. I suggest that your organization is disbanded immediately as this is a waste of tax payers money.

Far from religion or pilgrimage; it is corruption at all levels and the usurpers always think you have no right.If you sniff out the undertone message of this article, you will agree with me that the masked meaning of his statements are uncovered below when he said;
1. after a thorough ascertaining
This is the mindset of an authoritarian – a civil servant. The underlying fact or the intended message of Mr. Okpara here is that his actions and all that he has to say afterwards have the approval of Mr. President. Like someone who needs to cite and quote many references to defend his thesis
2. this amount is subsidized
Mr. Okpara’s mind at this point is to tell us that the pilgrims are poor people and could not have been able to afford the full amount were the government not subsidizing. In concrete term, non-government people are often miserable that only the civil servants can help. Very soon we are taken by another story of subsidy removal in this sector.

This is a hasty,lame damage control reaction from a typical Nigerian public servant--guilt-laden,corrupt and Godless.Imagine that this is happening in a Christian Prigrims board- no empathy,cold and brutal! The same people who preach love.Where is our salvation coming from when we cannot treat one another with a sense of reponsibility? Govt Should completely hands off religion in this country,after all it has become clear that these alien,commercial religions are Nigeria's source of problems.

This is a hasty,lame damage control reaction from a typical Nigerian public servant--guilt-laden,corrupt and Godless.Imagine that this is happening in a Christian Prigrims board- no empathy,cold and brutal! The same people who preach love.Where is our salvation coming from when we cannot treat one another with a sense of reponsibility? Govt Should completely hands off religion in this country,after all it has become clear that these alien,commercial religions are Nigeria's source of problems.

No need to insult people for their comments, simply go to the commission site and compare what they advertised to what you are saying then you can judge. I don't think they promised a holiday package to a five or four star hotel. It is a pilgrimage not a pleasure trip.

Coincidentally some Nigerians from the UK WERE in Israel and Palestine around the same period, but went with a foreign ministry- Benny Hinn. They paid approx $2700 for the 8 days pilgrimage, plus individuals had to pay their global airfare to Tel Aviv. So the charges from the NCPC are relatively fair because they charged less than $2600 or everything while in our own case we paid $2700 and still had to buy our ticket. Plus theirs was for 10 days while the one from the UK was for only 8 days. Also it is wise to tailor expectations from a pilgrimage realistically. It is not a hliday destination. Israel is a nation that has security and other challenges and going there is a thing of sacrifice.

I think you have low self esteem. The point is if the govt or anyone can't provide the service they advertise then they should pack up business. Whether is subsidized or not.

People are too full of themselves in this country. The people that started pilgrimage didn't say its meant to be an ordeal otherwise they will all put their own people through touture as the lady was. Everything in Nigeria is a scam and it is cause pple have low self esteem or why will you not protect your own.

They all pray but have the blackest souls. It's all a pretense.

As for the one who hastily replied the lady by writing this rubbish piece. We all know its guilty conscience worrying you. You can't travel in such conditions not to talk of put someone else through it. After all doesn't your bible tell you love your neighbour as yourself?

Even at face value of our current exchange rate the amount you quoted as the cost is $2,530USD or 397,210NGN @$1USD to 157NGN Bank rate or is president going to black market to get dollars for Christians?. Also because you are doing volume you are likely to get rock bottom rates from even a seven star hotel not just five star. I stayed at Hilton Americas at one of their most expensive rooms for just $197USD negotiated by my hosts. The advertised rate of the same room $965USD per night. You are likely to get at least better treatment for Nigerians than you stated here. It is always stealing that define this govt, where is the subsidy? return their balance of 8,940NGN per person thief.

Your reply, language and mode of expression are commendable. I just did a site inspection of the hotels and it did not support Efunbola's write up. The "pictures" are quite impressive and the rates listed are far above 27 dollars claimed by Efunbola. As a frequent traveller I know the pictures and write up on hotel sites are packaged to attract and lure customers while the reality may not match the descriptions. I had an experience recently when a friend booked a hotel he saw on the web for me because of facilities listed and tantalising pictures. Behold I did not sleep one night in the hotel because the reality was world apart from what he saw on the site. The breakdown of fee paid also did not show any extra payment for five star treatment that the writer was seeking. My advise, if there is any genuine concern from her points please NCPC sholud address it. I noted your headline, it is food for thought. Thanks.

In saner countries, the woman who wrote the petition will be arrested for obtaining under false pretence. She wanted to go on holiday to Israel, but instead of paying her way through got FGN to pay part of the cost by pretending to be a pilgrim. She should be made to refund whatever subsidy FGN paid for her trip. Th subsidy is meant for pilgrims and not for holiday makers who are looking for comfort. Thank God that the pilgrim Board unlike other govt agencies has appropriately responded to clarify issues.

mr ES, i agree that pilgrimage may not be a holiday (its a matter of choice), but i know that pilgrim officers tour churches convincing christians to go for pilgrimage in a comfortable manner. rather than argue with ms coker, NCPC should look inwards to serve human beings as humans and not treat ten as dogs. why dirty shabby hotels?, must one go through all that frustration because he/she is a pilgrim? incompetence cannot be excused for sacredness please! Do you as ES stay in any of these hotels when you visit israel?

This is a typical nigerian civil servant that would always want to justify their misdeeds.
I always check out customer reviews before paying for any service online. I have taken my time to check the reviews of the link this article provided on 'Savyonei Hagalil Hotel - Galilee'. Obviously, customers complained of not meeting the advertised amenities, which is the only strong point of the article above.
If your commission really wanted her to have a first hand 'Bible story' experience, you would have booked a manger instead.

My Opara, your response is the typical naija civil servant's attitude to service. That the hotel looks beautiful on the internet does not make it real. You think you are talking to idiots who do not know the scam that goes on on the internet.If you the Executive Secretary could respond in this careless manner what do i expect from your staff.
All you have succeded in doing is confirming that the lady is right. So because pilgrimage is not a holiday that is why they have to stay in a dingy and treat them animals.
I don't blame you, christianity has been turn into a social club that the likes of you see as an avenue to get rich.
Come to think of it what is the business of Christians in Isreal? is that what will take them to heaven? Let us stop copying the Moslem. Remmember the words of our Lord to the samaritan woman- The time is coming and it is already here when you don't have to go the mountain to worship.

I don't believe mr opera should remain in the employ of ncpc anymore. I just read his rejoinder and I must confess, I feel like throwing up!.....is this chap for real?....he should be immediately sacked!

Dear JK Opara,
I have read your Re-joinder on what Ms Coker wrote, and my candid views are as follows:
1. I have tried to open NCPC website and it could not open. I believe it is part of scam.

2. I saw the pictures of the hotel through the link you provided but please do not use this to deceive people. There was a time I chose and booked a hotel through Internet in Paris but I later regretted choosing the hotel when I arrived the hotel The point I am making here is that pictures could be deceptive. The pictures you showed did not show the numerous cats in Cooker' write-up.

3. I want you to answer this question. Which one is more of a legal or contract document, an email from NCPC or the contents of NCPC website which does not open? The reason for my question is that Ms Cooker had several emails exchange between her and NCPC staff and they included 4* and 5* hotels.

I commend Ms Cooker.

Kind regards,
Paul

You need to stop giving false justification. We all know you are in damage control mode. Just lookimg at the pictures provided by Ms. Coker its obvious there is some odd stuff going on, stop blaming the victim! You could be next.