uniBank, Shareworld Travels sign pact

Page 57: Daily Graphic, March 15, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
SHAREWORLD Travels, a tour company that specialises in pilgrimage trips, has signed an agreement with uniBank Ghana Ltd under which the bank will offer financial support to prospective pilgrims to various religious sites.
Under the agreement, prospective pilgrims will have to make all payments to the bank directly, while the bank also offers soft loans to those who could not meet the cost. They would, however, be expected to pay back between one and 24 months.
The bank would also open a pilgrimage account for those who might want to make savings towards pilgrimage.
The Director-General of Shareworld Travels, Mr Isaac Kuffour, and the Chief Executive Officer of Unibank Ghana Ltd, Mr Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, signed for their respective organisations, while Mrs Tali Tal, the Israeli Co-ordinator for Ghana and representative of the Israeli Embassy in Abuja, witnessed the document.
Mr Kuffour said since ancient times, pilgrimages had been a unique expression of worshipping God by the Israelites.
“Today, pilgrimages are one of the most important elements in our Christian life. When we go on a pilgrimage, we enter into the times and places of our Christian story and remember the events surrounding the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Standing where our Lord was baptised, crucified, or buried connects us more intimately to our Christian faith,” he added.
For his part, Mr Owusu-Amoah explained that it was in the interest of the bank to assist in improving Christian pilgrimages so that spiritual obligations could be fulfilled.
“We are already in support and assisting the churches in terms of musical instruments, church buildings and other projects,” he said, adding that “we feel happy to be associated with the pilgrimage programme.”
Mr Owusu–Amoah gave the assurance that money deposited at the bank by pilgrims would not be paid to Shareworld until all arrangements for hotels and visas had been secured for the pilgrims.
He reminded members of the public that the programme had nothing to do with the so-called seekers of greener pastures advised those with such ideas stay away from the programme.
Mrs Tali commended Shareworld and uniBank for their good teamwork and said her office would assist them when the need arose.
Under a schedule of programme for March and October each year, pilgrims to Israel will visit and pray at sites like the Mountain of Temptation, Dead Sea, Sea of Galilee, River Jordan, Gethsemane, Golgotha, Upper Room, the tomb of Jesus, Tiberias, Nazareth, Western Wall, Mt. of Ascension, Mt. Olives, Mt. of Beatitudes, Cana, the Pool of Bethesda, Elijah and the Baal, 14 Stations of the Cross, Qumran, Capernaum, and Ela Valley – where David defeated Goliath.