By ABUBAKAR Y. Zakariya, Abuja
The Civil Rights Action Against Corruption (CRAAC) has written to the Executive Secretary of Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) Rev Yakubu Pam to step down over alleged corrupt practices in the commission.
According to the group, Pam was able to defend himself in the past on corruption allegations because Nigerians that were speaking out against his indiscretion were yet to obtain all the facts, and the last pilgrimage was only sponsored for his family, friends and political associates.
The letter which is obtained by THE EXPLAINER and signed by CRAAC’s
National Coordinator, Robinson Edeh, alleged that Pam took people who would negotiate for him to be picked as a running mate to the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, adding that when it did not work out, he sponsored groups to mobilise against the Muslim -Muslim ticket.
“They will be mortified to learn that aside from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha and a handful of state officials, the rest of the delegation were your relations, political associates, business partners, mistresses and their friends and relatives.
“This practically implied that half of the delegation were on holiday, paid for by NCPC. The other half of the delegation were on the trip, not for the purposes you advertisement, but to deliberate on your political ambition of becoming the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by crook, since the only road to this position for you is an unending campaign to be handpicked as a correcting factor for the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC),” the group said.
According to the group: “Facts have now emerged that you and your political associates were on that trip to destabilise Nigeria unless you get what you want. Effectively, you should refund the government resources spent on the flight tickets and estacodes for the delegation to the Holy Land since you took these people on your personal assignment and not a national assignment.
“This latest development has also further exposed the bazaar that has been going on in NCPC under your watch, for which you are responsible, since staff of the Commission have at various times confirmed to undercover members of our coalition that they render returns to you. Selection for Christian Pilgrimage is now on sale since you assumed leadership of the agency responsible for the exercise, ” the group said.
The letter reads: “Dear Executive Secretary, what you have effectively done is to render the Holy Pilgrimage by Nigerians into something abhorrent since the corruption surrounding the exercise under your watch has turned it into something revolting to the Most High.
“It is bad enough that you sin against the country but this crime is made worse by manipulating the entire Board of the Commission to join you in wrecking the place you were appointed to make perfect.
“Your tenure has surpassed the corruption that greeted the former regime of Ujah, who turned the Commission into a personal estate. In your own case you are running a personal show as the only one who decides carrier air-crafts and fees to be paid by passengers, you determine the hotels to use and the fees to pay, you decide every other logistics during pilgrimage and share part of the proceeds of this with top government officials to buy their silence.
“You are known to have squandered the BTAs of pilgrims because you engage in underhand dealings with Bureau De Change Operators using BTAs at the official rates approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to pocket profits from such thereby undermining the economy of the country.On the administrative side, it is saddening to discover that you have continually breached the Public Procurement Act in your running of the Commission.
“Similar to how you select those that go on pilgrimage, vendors and contractors are selected from a circle consisting of your associates, friends and family. The many instances when you overruled the civil servants in the Commission are well documented and would constitute evidence against you when you are eventually put on trial. CRAAC is concerned that you are now deploying the proceeds of this sleaze to attempt destabilizing Nigeria.’
