NCPC gives ultimatum to Bishop Mamza, demands receipts, invoices of monies allegedly paid by Adamawa Govt
The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, NCPC, says it has given the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Adamawa State branch, Bishop Stephen Mamza, five days to make available receipts and invoices for all the monies purportedly paid to the commission by the government of Adamawa State.
This is contained in a statement signed by Celestine Toruka, Deputy Director and Head of Media and Public Relations of the NCPC.
Recall that Bishop Mamza had recently alleged that the NCPC was in a mess and unable to plan Christian pilgrimage.
Mamza further called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) to investigate the activities of the Executive Secretary of the NCPC, Rev Yakubu Pam.
However, NCPC has come out to say that the petition by its legal adviser, Barrister Odey Obule, against Bishop Mamza asking him to retract his statement has proven that the commission never collected any money from the Adamawa State Government for the purpose of pilgrimage exercise to Rome.
The commission maintained that the Adamawa pilgrimage faced some challenges, which could have been avoided if the commission was carried along.
It further explained that the commission only intervened when it discovered that the Adamawa State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board under its Executive Secretary, Rev. Zidon Love, attempted to perform a pilgrimage to Rome without recourse to it contrary to the NCPC Act of 2007.
The Commission, therefore, said it was wrong for Mamza to apportion to it, part of the blame for the failure of the pilgrimage exercise.
“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,” it said.
