We Follow Due Process Over Contract Awards – NAFDAC DG
— Jul 23, 2015
The Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr Paul Orhii, has said that due process and transparency was followed in the award of contracts by the agency.
Speaking to journalists yesterday in Abuja against the backdrop of allegations of corruption leveled against him by the agency’s former director of Finance, Ademola Mogbojuri, he described the claims as false and an attempt to cast him in bad light.
Orhii said during his tenure, he has increased the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of NAFDAC.
He said, “It’s true that I met the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) at N2.5 billion. Three years ago, we had just N6billion. Last year, we got up to N7billion and we hope that by this year, we will take it up to N9billion. So for the director of Finance who should know, to say that we have been making N9billion for the past four years, he is simply being mischievous or it’s a case of incompetence or it could be both.”
According to the NAFDAC boss, it is the money that was generated that is being used to run the agency.
He said, “ In fact, the federal government basically pays our salaries. Like the budget for this year, for which we budgeted almost N9billion for overheard expenditure, there is zero allocation for us. Last year, we were allocated N10million and at the end of the year, we were paid only N7.2 million.
“Yes, we have generated more money from NAFDAC since I came on board for which I think I deserve credit. What has the money been used for? First and foremost, those who had visited our Lagos office must have seen that we were using portacarbins, sometimes in the cabins, the rains will fall in, the rats and snakes will crawl in. Now, go to Lagos and see our Isolo edifice.
NAFDAC logo
“I think it’s one of the best owned by a government agency. NAFDAC is one of the top 20 regulatory agencies in the world, I am proud of that edifice in Lagos and I can host anybody there. We have paid fully for the construction of that building. We are not owing anybody for it. All due process was followed for all contracts in that building, including that of furnishing which it was alleged that the contract was inflated”.
While denying mismanaging funds generated by NAFDAC, Orhii said though the agency was financially indebted, funds accruing to it have been used to build and upgrade much needed infrastructure in NAFDAC offices across the country.
Mogbojuri was transferred to NAFDAC’s training institute in Kaduna after being removed as finance director, an action, he claimed was his stiff resistance to what he described as many cases of financial mismanagement by the director general of the agency.
Mogbojuri also accused the director-genral of increasing NAFDAC’s debt profile and squandering monies generated by it.
But Orhii said that it was the former director who failed in his responsibilities and had severally displayed incompetence in carrying out his duties.
CSOs urge Buhari to be Cautious over fake petitions
Meanwhile, a coalition of 14 civil societies has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to be cautious of fake petitions.
The coalition stated this while reacting to series of petitions against various heads of agencies and parastatals in the country including the one against the NAFDAC boss.
The civil societies, who came under the aegis of African Arise for Change Network, said their decision to support the anti corruption fight of the present administration has spurred them to raise the alarm over fifth columnists who are already positioning to truncate the gains of change.
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