A group, Civil Rights Action Against Corruption (CRAAC), has lamented what it described as campaign of calumny and blackmail against the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) by its coordinator, Comrade John Olukayode, disassociating itself from it.
During a world press conference on Saturday in Abuja, a member of the group, Comrade Paul Katuka, announced the sack of Olukayode, saying he has brought the group into disrepute as it is not known to be used to tarnish somebody’s image, let alone an upright man like Reverend Pam.
He said: “We are here to disassociate ourselves from the recent manifestation of what has clearly become an act of campaign of calumny and blackmail against Rev Yakubu Pam, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission by one of us. The unsubstantiated outburst made against the man of God by the Coordinator of our group is unbecoming of a person of his standing.
“Our reference here is the recent misleading story published in the Vanguard newspapers titled ‘Same faith ticket: Anti graft body asks Pam to resign as Christian Pilgrims’ boss’. What a misleading statement from a supposedly leader of a civil society group and one that is ideally, a straight forward person!
“We the bonafide members of the Civil Rights Action Against Corruption wish to commend and identify with well meaning groups and patriotic individuals that have been condemning the puerile, odious, infantile, wicked, treacherous and devil inspired campaign of calumny and distraction against Rev Pam embarked by our Coordinator.
“We are particularly excited by the position of the larger majority of our members and leaders which, after our special meeting today Saturday, November 5, 2022 concluded that the statement credited to our Coordinator is not only lacking in evidence but also an outlandish falsehood that cannot be substantiated and devoid of all truth.
“It is noteworthy that the coordinator was invited to the meeting and was given ample opportunity to defend or substantiate his wild allegation and misplaced aggression against Rev Pam but he shamefully failed to show up! It is pertinent to note that the meeting resolved to hereby tender unreserved apology to Rev Pam for the campaign of calumny and distraction by the estwhile coordinator of our group.”
