The Director General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control ,NAFDAC,Mr Paul Orhii, on Monday interrogated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,EFCC over alleged award of contracts to fronts, other related fraud and abuse of office.
Orhii spent several hours with the anti-graft agency but was later granted bail.
According to reports, Mogbojuri, who was moved from his Abuja office to Kaduna by Orhii, may also be invited by the EFCC to confront the DG with evidence of his misdeeds before final decision is taken on what next to do with him.
“So, the allegation that I brought phony companies to do business and I award contracts to them is false and all our contracts followed due process; the documentation is there and is verifiable.”
Orhii, who also denied mismanaging funds generated by NAFDAC, said though the agency had a huge debts on its hands, funds accruing to it have been judiciously used to provide critical facilities for the body.
Among other issues, Mogbojuri accused the Director-General of increasing NAFDAC’s debt profile and squandering monies generated by it.
But Orhii denied it all. He said, “It’s true that I met the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) at N2.5 billion. Three years ago we made N6 billion. Last year, we got up to N7 billion and we hope that by this year, we will take it up to N9 billion.
“So, for the Director of Finance, who should know, to say that we have been making N9 billion for the past four years, he is simply being mischievous or it’s a case of incompetence or both.
“It is the money that we generate that we use to run the agency. In fact, the Federal Government basically pays our salaries. Like the budget for this year, for which we budgeted almost N9 billion for overheard expenditure, there is zero allocation for us.
“Last year, we were allocated N10 million but at the end of the year we were only given N7.2 million.
“Yes, we have generated more money from NAFDAC since I came on board for which I think I deserve credit.”
He also denied inflating the contract for the building of its head office in Lagos, saying that due process was followed in the building and furnishing of the edifice.
The NAFDAC boss is the latest in the string of renewed high profile interrogations carried out by EFCC since the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Some of those quizzed include ex governors Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State,Murtala Nyako of Adamawa state and Sule Lamido of Jigawa state; Ifeoma Nwobodo, former Chief of Staff to immediate past Governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime, Mrs Toyin Saraki,wife of incumbent Senate President as well as Zainab YarAdua, daughter of late President Umaru YarAdua.
