President sacks Uja as NCPC’s Executive Secretary

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday sacked the Executive Secretary of Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Rev Tor Uja, for alleged financial infraction and fraud.

It was learnt that Uja mismanaged the finances of the commission to the tune of about N225 million.

Sources at the commission said the former Executive Secretary ran the place like an emperor and carried out financial transactions without transparency and approval.

It was learnt that Uja, among other things, bypassed the board for approvals and, in some cases, violated the Procurement Act by acting alone on contract approvals beyond his official limit.

One of the sources said this propelled the Presidency to set up an administrative panel of enquiry to look into his alleged financial misconduct.

It said the report of the panel led to Uja’s sack.

The source added: “The man ran the place aground. We use to run four pilgrimage programmes. As we speak, it is only one we are running.

“The man was like an emperor. He ran the place without transparency. There were instances of maladministration, intimidation and financial impropriety.

“He did not follow due process.

“There was an administrative panel of enquiry set up against him last year. It was on the basis of the recommendations of that panel the President approved his sack.

“The money he mismanaged is much. There was one of N225 million.”

A statement by the Director (Information) in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Willie Bassey, said Uja’s sack was in line with the provision of Section 4, Sub-Section 3 of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission Act.

He said the embattled Executive Secretary had been directed to hand over to the Director of Administration in the commission, Mrs. Esther Kwaghe, who is to oversee the office, pending the appointment of a substantive Executive Secretary.

President Buhari also directed the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to work out an appropriate framework for the operation of offshore account maintained by the NCPC and other Federal Government agencies in order to streamline their operations.