Rev-Tor-Uja
Crime

Buhari sacks Christian pilgrims board boss Ujah who is enmeshed in corruption

1.3k

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate termination of appointment of Rev. Tor Ujah, as the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC).

Ujah has been directed to hand over to Director of Administration in the Commission, Mrs. Esther Kwaghe,  who is to oversee the Office, pending the appointment of a Substantive Executive Secretary.

In a statement by the Director Information, Willie Bassey on behalf of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said the termination “is in line with the provision of Section 4, Sub-Section 3 of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission Act.”

In a related development, President Buhari, has 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 Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, and all other Federal Government Agencies in order to streamline their operations.

Ujah, who was appointed in 2016, has since last year been under probe over a series of alleged fraud.

The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) had in October 2018 gave instructions for the investigation of the allegations.

Among the allegations is the 10 different payment vouchers issued between 2017 and 2018, on behalf of the commission.

Ujah is being investigated for allegedly diverting $229,000 meant for ensuring pilgrims’ visit to Israel, Greece and Rome in July 2017, among other allegations.

He is also being investigated for allegedly diverting $103,000 in 2018, which Ujah explained was used for hiring of a hall during the bidders’ education workshop, which held in Israel last year. But a source claimed that the workshop was held inside the hall of the Nigerian Embassy in Tel-Aviv, a place where he could not have made any such payment.

The sacked ES was also alleged to have transferred N1 billion meant for the commission’s local budget to the commission’s offshore account between 2016 and 2017.

Leave a comment

Related Articles

Lagos police officer imprisoned for alleged rape of teenage girl in his office

For allegedly raping a 17-year-old girl in his office, Owolabi Akinlolu, a...

.EFCC arraigns man in court for rejecting Naira as legal currency

For allegedly refusing to accept the Naira as a legal tender and...

NAFDAC cracks down on counterfeit medicines, seizes fake drugs in Anambra market

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has launched...

Nigerian businessman convicted, jailed in Dubai for financial crimes

A Dubai court has sentenced Nigerian billionaire Abdulrahman Bashar, owner of Rahmaniya...

Alleged cyber fraud, terrorism: 11 Chinese nationals arraigned in Lagos

Eleven Chinese nationals are facing trial at the Federal High Court in...

Murder of entire family: Three men to face gallows for brutal killing, arson

After two years of trial, justice was served on Monday as an...

US-based Nigerian, lawful permanent resident, bags 75 months in jail, fined $342,000 for catfishing scam

Edwin Okoronkwo, 36-year-old Nigerian national based in US, was sentenced on January...

FCT Police Recover N1bln Worth of Stolen Public Infrastructure, Apprehend 31 Suspects

The Federal Capital Territory(FCT) Police Command has said that it arrested 31...

FCT Police Bust Dispatch Rider for Transporting “Laughing Gas

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has confirmed the arrest of...

Alleged N919m fraud: Ex-NHIS boss, Yusuf’s arraignment fixed for Feb. 3

Justice Chinyere Nwecheonwu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, sitting in...

Just in: Timileyin Ajayi arraigned, pleads not guilty to Salome’s murder, case adjourned until March 17-20 for trial

Despite previously justifying the killing, Timileyin Ajayi, who was arraigned on Monday...

Anambra govt pulls down hotel used as kidnappers’ hide-out, 30 graves, shrines, pot of human blood discovered

A two-storey Udoka Golden Point Hotel and Suites known as “La Cruise...

Nigerian, Okezie Ogbata, pleads guilty to defrauding 400 Americans of $6m

A Nigerian national, Okezie Ogbata, has pleaded guilty in a Florida district...

Just in: Notorious terrorist kingpin, Bello Turji, mulls surrendering, says CDS

Bello Turji, known for his notoriety as a terrorist leader in the...

Crackdown on scrap yards: FCT Police arraign 16 people over alleged vandalism, theft of govt. property

No fewer than 16 people have been brought before a Chief Magistrates’...

In a crackdown NAFDAC seizes, destroys N1.36bln fake, expired products in Abuja

In a move to safeguard public health and safety, the National Agency...

Just in: OAU student murder: Adedoyin to die by hanging, Appeal Court affirms

The Court of Appeal in Akure, Ondo State, has affirmed the death...

Alleged $45m money laundering: Court remands El-Rufai’s ex-Chief of Staff in prison

Bashir Sa’idu, former Chief of Staff to ex-Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir...

Ex-AMCON MD, others granted N20m bail over alleged N76bln, $31.5m fraud

Justice Mojisola Dada of an Ikeja Special Offences Court on Monday granted...

FCT police rescue five-year-old girl, nab suspected abductor

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has rescued five-year-old Miracle Yakubu...