Alleged Misappropriation: NCPC Gives Bishop Mamza Ultimatum To Provide Proofs
…Says allegation unfounded and malicious
BY REBECCA ALUKO, ABUJA – The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), has given the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Adamawa State chapter, Bishop Stephen Mamza an ultimatum to provide receipts and invoices to proof monies allegedly paid to the Commission by the Adamawa State Government.
Bishop Mamza had at a press conference on December 1, 2022 in Yola, the Adamawa state capital, accused the NCPC of corruption and demanded the sack of its Executive Secretary, Rev. Yakubu Pam over the allegation of misappropriation.
Bishop Mamza specifically accused Rev. Pam of misappropriating monies paid to the NCP by the Adamawa State government.
The NCPC however described Mamza’s allegation as totally unfounded, malicious, unwarranted and without basis.
The Commission’s ultimatum was contained in a petition signed by its Legal Adviser, Mr. Odey Obule Esq., dated December 5, 2022, and addressed to Bishop Stephen Mamza titled; “Retraction of False and Malicious Publication Against The Executive Secretary Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, NCPC”.
It pointedly warned that failure by Bishop Mamza to omit or neglect to purge himself of the malicious and unwarranted publication, would force the Commission to escalate the matter to higher authorities in order to ventilate its rights.
The NCPC particularly noted that Bishop Mamza has flagrantly trampled upon its rights without justification, stressing that it did not collect any money whatsoever from Adamawa State Government for Pilgrimage exercise to Rome held between May 23 to 28, 2022.
The NCPC explained that it 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 it 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 noted that the entire Adamawa pilgrimage was marred by several challenges which could have been avoided had the Commission been carried along from the beginning.
The NCPC statement further said; “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”.
