NAFDAC denies alleged funds misuse by DG
The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has debunked allegation of misappropriation of N6 billion, said to have been levelled against its Director-General, Dr. Paul Orhii, by former Director of Finance and Accounts, Andrew Ademola Mogbojuri.
Mogbojuri was the Director of Finance and Account until some weeks ago when he was redeployed to Planning, Research and Statistics (PR and S) and subsequently to the agency’s Training Institute in Kaduna.
The agency blamed the redeployment of Mogbojuri on his impunity. While Mogbojuri kicked, some staff of the agency rejoiced. But there was a new twist to the redeployment saga some days ago when members of NAFDAC branch of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) urged the management to “clean up wrong-doings” allegedly perpetrated by some directors at the Finance and Account Directorate, and the Administration and Human Resource Directorate.
At a press briefing at the weekend in Lagos, the union chairman, Ibrahim Attah, specifically accused Mogbojuri of setting a wrong precedent by allegedly refusing redeployment, claiming that most of the issues that led to strike in the agency some months ago were caused by his failure to release money to meet the union’s legitimate demands, even when mandated to do so.
But in a swift reaction, Mogbojuri accused the union of receiving bribe from the management of the agency to implicate him, just as he accused the agency management of witch-hunting him for not servicing its greedy interest. He went on to accuse Orhii of financial misappropriation.
But in a statement yesterday, the Director of Special Duties, Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, debunked the allegations, describing them as “misleading and cheap blackmail.” “As a matter of fact, we have not done any of those things. We are also studying the allegations,” he said.
Jimoh accused Mogbojuri of being “disgruntled and aggrieved,” adding that “he was removed as director of finance based on incompetence and insubordination.”
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3 Comments
Dr. German Onisuru. I was at the graduation ceremony at Leeds Becket University with some members of the family to witness our son receive hiss LLB(Hons) yesterday, but something remarkable drew our attention. It was a doctorate for a Nigerian intellectual who had investigated Poutry farming in Delta State. This, I thought was incredibly serious and immediately beneficial research work that help align the poultry farming, a source of much needed protein food for the teaming population of this state. I have not had the opportunity to read this thesis yet, but I will be making every eefort to do so at the earliest opportunity when next I am in Leeds or at the University of Liverpool, where I have contacts. I have chosen to write about this ground-breaking research which is not on some European wooly topic but on a subject that will have an immediate and useful benefit for a developing community such as the Delta State. The published thesis may be available online as I write this comment, but I will urge the Nigerian Guardian to do the right thing by our people and feature this incredibly fruitful work. NAFDAC might even see some advantage for the nation in sponsoring an applicational work using Dr. German Onisuru as the projects implimentation research fellow. My congratulations go to Dr. Onisuru of the Business and Marcketing faculty of the Leeds Becket University, Leeds, England.
Is not enough to say this allegation is not true. Orhii should be investigated. Agency like NAFDAC should not be head by a politician like Orhii. Such person can easily compromise Nigerian health for political appointment. We all know his contribution in the Benue state politics in last election.
Mr. Mogbojuri should be careful, never confront thieves directly, just sit there quietly and collect evidence against them to provide EFCC at the right time. You must be patient and not make yourself a scape goat for these evil men who hate their country and don’t want to see it develop. Anyway, since you have already stuck your neck out, we now declare that they will all be exposed and you will be exonerated and rewarded for your heroism. Good must triumph over evil in NAFDAC now.
We will review and take appropriate action.