DG denies corruption allegations

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Director General, Dr. Paul Orhii, has come out to publicly refute the corruption allegations levelled against him.

Read DG accused of financial recklessness

In an official statement, the NAFDAC Director of Special Duties, Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, said “Ordinarily, the publications would have been ignored except for the wrong information it would send to the public. However, for concerns expressed by the public and our stakeholders, we wish to state categorically that these allegations are baseless, false, misleading and frivolous because nothing of such has happened under the watch of Orhii as Director-General of NAFDAC.”

Adding that “It is a curious paradox that the so-called director of finance and accounts who has been superintending over contract awards, payments and other due processes since 2010 would now turn around to make such false and disparaging allegations against the chief executive just when he was redeployed to another directorate due to his incompetence and insubordination.”

Jimoh said the staff who accused the NAFDAC DG, former Director of Finance and Accounts, Mr. Ademola Mogbojuri, did so to settle a personal score.

Read NAFDAC warns against consumption of imported chicken, turkey

He said “In any case, redeployment and movement of officers in civil service are a normal routine. This is not the first time since the creation of NAFDAC that directors are reshuffled. In most cases, some directors have been redeployed up to five directorates within three years in the agency. This is why we are at a loss to decipher what the hullabaloo is all about except to believe that he is being used as a willing tool in the hands of counterfeiters to derail the focused administration in its quest to safeguard the health of the nation.”

While urging members of the public to ignore the false allegations, he said “NAFDAC is aware of an orchestrated plot to throw mud at it by certain interests whose trade in unwholesome food and counterfeit drugs had been affected by proactive actions of Orhii towards ensuring that unwholesome food and counterfeit drugs become history in Nigeria. We are therefore not surprised that these allegations are coming up from a director who is already disgruntled and finding ways of hitting back at the agency and the chief executive.”

You will recall that former Director of Finance and Accounts, Mr. Ademola Mogbojuri accused the NAFDAC DG,Dr. Paul Orhii of misappropriating funds.