Friday, 29th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

NAFDAC: CSOs tasks Buhari on fake petitions

By Kanayo Umeh, Abuja
24 July 2015   |   5:39 am
Sequel to petition against the Director General of the Nigerian Agency For Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii, alleging acts of corruption and financial mismanagement, a coalition of 14 civil societies has risen against what it described as false allegations and fifth columnists. The civil societies that came under the aegis of African…
Director-General of NAFDAC, Paul Orhii

Director-General of NAFDAC, Paul Orhii

Sequel to petition against the Director General of the Nigerian Agency For Food and Drug Administration
(NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii, alleging acts of corruption and financial mismanagement, a coalition of 14 civil societies has risen against what it described as false allegations and fifth columnists.

The civil societies that came under the aegis of African Arise for Change Network condemned the recent allegations levelled on the DG of NAFDAC, said that their decision to support the anti corruption fight of the present administration had spurred them to raise the alarm over fifth columnists who were already positioning to truncate the gains of change.

Speaking for the coalition the Secretary General, Samson Bello lamented that unfortunately, the plan of such groups were couched to mislead Nigerians into thinking such individuals behind them were against corruption while the reverse was the case.

“Chief, among their strategy is to use disgruntled elements within government offices, agencies and parastatals to pose as whistle blowers to media houses and consequently send operatives of anti-corruption agencies on wild goose chase.

The anticipated end result of this scheme is to overwhelm the EFCC, ICPC and Police FIU with frivolous petitions whose investigation would spread operatives thin, thereby rendering them ineffective,” he exposed further.

According to Bello, the saboteurs had scored their first hit with their sponsored group of protesters that on Tuesday staged a march towards the EFCC headquarters to demand the resignation of the chairman of the Commission simply for doing his statutory job and declining to be engaged for witch hunting.

The group further revealed that the target of the protest was the Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, whom he said despite the standard to which he had globally raised NAFDAC to as a reliable regulator of food and drug administration, which had helped to boost the economy as many saw reasons to rely on made in Nigeria goods and commodities.

The anti corruption crusaders said that their investigation into the matter revealed that the petitioners’ plank rested on the petition by a whistle blower who only started his crusade of righteousness after an internal re-organisation moved him from his erstwhile position in the agency. The re-organisation was in turn the product of when staff realised that the celebrated whistleblower had an agenda to amass wealth for himself while the DG was busy working round the clock to improve on the high standard he met at NAFDAC.

“Our greater worry is however about the impact that such frivolous petition would have on the ability of Nigerians firms to export their produce at a time the nation is looking to diversifying its revenue base. The stories online about the petition have been dispersed in cyberspace and any search about made in Nigeria goods will return results that will suggest that the regulatory framework is corrupt contrary to the reality on ground.

“The allegation also have the potential to distract the anti corruption crusade as the relevant agencies could soon become wary of chasing shadows when they found out that many of the petitions and demands by agitating groups are unfounded.”

0 Comments