It is most unfortunate that Mr. Simon Dzalla has continued to progress in error by carrying out campaign of calumny against the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, the only apex Christian faith based Agency in Nigeria, alongside his principal the Catholic Bishop of Yola Diocese, Most Rev. Stephen Mamza.
You wrote a piece about your bitter experience in Rome with the Adamawa State Pilgrims against the Commission and has blatantly and stubbornly insisted that NCPC collected €34,500 Euro in Rome in your presence which was paid to the NCPC Director of Finance and Accounts before you. You courageously accused the Commission falsely by saying that our defense of not collecting €34,500 Euro cash from the Adamawa State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board is untrue.
The Commission therefore wishes to State in clear terms that our resolve on this matter is unshakeable and we will continue to maintain our integrity no matter whose ox is gored.
Mr. Simon Dzalla in the first place is not a staff of the Board neither is he a staff of the Adamawa State Government. As a pilgrim how on earth was the said €34, 500 Euros kept in your custody to the extent that you also confirmed the money.
Are you saying that the Adamawa State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board abdicated its responsibility and engaged a pilgrim of your status to meddle into their financial matters in Rome ? The Commission finds it strange that a non State actor claimed such a colossal foreign currency was in his kitty ;: official funds of Adamawa State Government.
The money laundering Act states that if you are in possession of more than $10, 000 Dollars while traveling outside this country, you must declare it officially at the Airport before you are allowed to go with it. Mr. Simon Dzalla should provide evidence of such declaration. The fact remains that NCPC does not collect cash from anybody even pilgrims. All our official transactions are through the banks and monies are paid directly to the approved ground handlers because we give contracts to our approved service providers. Mr. Dzalla categorically stated that the said amount was paid cash in Rome to the NCPC Director of Finance and Accounts. We demand that he should provide the name of the officer he paid the said money to. Unfortunately, the NCPC Head of finance and Accounts as at the time of the pilgrimage, Mr. Peter Okuwe was never in Rome, he could not have been in Rome and Nigeria at the same time, as he is not a spirit.
You claimed to have evidence of acknowledgement of the €34,500 Euros paid to the NCPC Director of Finance and Accounts who does not exist, what the Commission is demanding from Most. Rev. Stephen Mamza is the evidence of receipts of the said amount paid to NCPC and not acknowledgement.
Nevertheless, the Commission has formally written to Most. Rev, Stephen Mamza to provide the receipts of the payment of the said money to NCPC within five days, beginning from 5th December, 2022, failure to do so, will leave the Commission with no option than to escalate the matter further than this.
We wish to disregard all your claims as lacking in substance. They are spurious, baseless, malicious and unfounded. NCPC will continue to be on the side of justice.
It beats one’s imagination how a pilgrim claims he knows so much about the operation of the Adamawa State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board to the extent that such a huge amount was kept in his custody even in Rome.
Certainly, something must be wrong somewhere. Is Mr. Simon Dzalla the one speaking for the Board while the Executive Secretary of the Adamawa State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board is mute. There is more to this than meets the eyes .
Those who live in glass houses , should not throw stones.
Celestine Toruka
Deputy Director/Head,
Media and Public Relations
7th December, 2022
