NCPC: Adamawa Bishop Given Five Days Ultimatum To Prove Corruption Allegation
The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, NCPC has given the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN Adamawa State branch, Bishop Stephen Mamza five days Ultimatum to provide receipts and invoices for all monies allegedly paid to the Commission by the Adamawa State Government.
The commission disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, by the Head Media and Public Relations,Celestine Toruka.
TheFact Daily reports that the Bishop Mamza had accused the Executive Secretary of NCPC, Revd. Yamuna Pam of misappropriation and called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to investigate the commission.
However, in a petition signed by the Legal Adviser of the NCPC Barrister Odey Obule on Tuesday and addressed to the catholic bishop, “should you fail, omit or neglect to purge yourself of this malicious and unwarranted publication, the Commission would be forced to escalate the matter to higher authorities in order to ventilate its rights which you have flagrantly trampled upon without justification,” it stated.
The statement further re-affirmed that the Commission never nor collected any money whatsoever from Adamawa State Government for the Adamawa Pilgrimage exercise to Rome held between 23rd May to 28th May, 2022.
NCPC explained that the Commission only intervened when it discovered that the Adamawa State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board under its Executive Secretary, Rev. Zidon Love tried to perform pilgrimage to Rome without recourse to the Commission contrary to the NCPC enabling Act of 2007 which empowers the Commission to coordinate and superintend the activities of Christian Pilgrimage in Nigeria and the movement of Nigeria Christians to the Holy Sites around the world.
The NCPC maintained that the entire Adamawa pilgrimage was marred by several challenges which could have been avoided had the Commission been carried along from the beginning.
He further stated: “it is therefore uncharitable for you to ascribe blame for the failure of the exercise to the Commission which only came in to salvage the situation after all the arrangements and payments had been made by the State Board to several service providers it contracted”.
