Business

NAFDAC Boss Denies Corruption Allegation

Published

11 years ago

July 29, 2015

The Director-General, Na
tional Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr Paul Orhii, has dismissed allegations of corruption levelled against him in an online media platform.
The Tide source reports that a former Director of Accounts in NAFDAC, Mr Ademola Mogbojuri, accused Orhii of bypassing due process in the award of contracts in the agency.
Mogbojuri also accused the NAFDAC boss in an online media (Sahara Reporters) of misappropriating funds meant for the agency.
But briefing newsmen on the development in Abuja, Orhii described all the allegations made against him as lies.
He said that the allegation by the former director of accounts that he expended N9 billion unjustly and all other fabricated lies was done to gain cheap popularity.
“I was on Sallah break with my family when someone drew my attention to an article by the Sahara Reporters on massive fraud at NAFDAC.
“The article even mentioned names of some contractors and companies that due process was not followed in the award of contracts to them.
“I want to tell you that all the allegations are false.
“You heard that I have so many companies on ground that I award contracts to; you can go to Corporate Affairs Commission and verify.
“It is very easy to determine someone’s interest in a company. If your relatives are among the shareholders of a company it will show.
“So go and check. The companies have been doing business at NAFDAC long before I assumed duty and they still continued.
“The Director of Finance should have the correct information; I think it is both mischief and incompetence to say that we have hidden N9 billion over the last four years.’’
The NAFDAC boss further explained that the contracts which Mogbojuri alleged were carefully awarded when he (Mogbojuri) was in charge of accounts department.
Orhii noted that the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the agency which he improved from N2.5 billion when he took over to about N7 billion now, was used to run its activities outside payment of salaries.
“When I assumed office, we didn’t have an enforcement office; we bought land in Apapa and built a very big office, it is verifiable.
“The land in Benue is on ground. It has been fenced; it has a borehole meant to serve the communities. These are some of the allegations made against NAFDAC by Mogbojuri.
“We were given 20 hectares of land to build a NAFDAC office at the centenary city that is being built.
“10 years from now we will build a head office with a cafeteria and a crèche that will accommodate the children of our staff and international visitors can as well eat at the cafeteria.’’
Orhii further explained that the NAFDAC building located at Isolo, Lagos, which is now one of the best buildings in the area, was constructed with the revenue generated by the agency.
He said that the building alleviated the sufferings of staff that had to battle rain, rat and snakes when the agency operated from potter cabins.
The director-general said the NAFDAC Lagos building was now a land mark and that all due process were followed in the allocation of the contract including the furnishing.
The NAFDAC boss also pointed out that part of the funds generated by the agency were used for staff training both local and foreign.
He also said that NAFDAC dominated proceedings at last month’s drug standard meeting in China, Israel, Albania and Czechoslovakia.
“We have achieved world standard here at NAFDAC and we will soon be able to export medicine to other countries.
“Today, we have about four of these products that are manufactured and exported from Nigeria.
“Today, Nigeria can prevent cord infection during child birth and the drugs used are now being exported to other countries.
“Pneumonia treatments are also made available, we now manufacture disposable amoxilyn tablets and about 17 per cent of child birth deaths caused by Pneumonia, will no longer be a problem.
“Diarrhoea and few other ailments now have their treatment available in Nigeria; if we educate the midwives well, we will save both mothers and children from death at child birth,’’ he said.

Business

Boat Mishap Kills Pastor, Wife And Church Members In Brass Water

Published

3 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

A boat accident in Bayelsa state has killed a serving Pastor, Wife and other church members along Brass waterways

The sad incident happened at Odioama in Brass local government area of Bayelsa State when the Pastor, wife and members of his church were in a programme.

?Tide confirmed that the lifeless body of the Pastor’s wife has been found and deposited in a mortuary while the remains of her husband ,the Pastor is yet to be recovered

as search party are still ongoing.

Although the real cause of the boat Mishap is not yet known as at the time of this report, our Correspondent gathered that the identities of the Pastor, wife and church members were not disclosed to the public.

The mishap, Tide gathered occurred on Friday morning when the church members were on a boat transit

The Bayelsa State government and the state police command are yet to issue official statement’s on the sad accident

By: CHINEDU WOSU

Business

Rivers Workers Seek Scrapping Of Contributory Pension Scheme

Published

3 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Council of Nigeria Civil Service Union has called on the State Government to urgently scrap the contributory pension scheme, describing it as unfavourable to long-serving civil servants in the state.

Chairman of the union, Chukwuka Osuma, said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, recently.

Osuma said the current pension structure has continued to worsen post-retirement hardship for workers.

He noted that the contributory pension scheme had failed to provide adequate retirement security for workers who had spent many years in service, especially those approaching retirement age.

According to him, civil servants who had served for more than 20 years were among the worst affected under the scheme, insisting that many retirees could no longer cope with prevailing economic realities.

He also informed that the Union has made moves to showcase their concerns, pleading with Governor Siminalayi Fubara to abolish the pension policy and introduce a more favourable arrangement for affected workers.

“The union was not opposed to pension reforms, the contributory scheme should only apply to newly employed workers or those with fewer years in service”, he said.

Osuma explained that workers who had already spent decades in the civil service ought to remain under a more secure pension structure capable of guaranteeing stability after retirement.

The labour leader further noted that inflation and the rising cost of living had continued to erode the value of retirement savings, thereby increasing the suffering of pensioners across the country.

He also appealed to the state government to consider extending the years of service in the civil service from 35 to 40 years and the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.

Osuma argued that such adjustment had become necessary in view of present-day economic realities and changing conditions in the workplace.

The unionist also reviewed that similar policies had already been adopted in some sectors and jurisdictions, expressing optimism that the State could also implement the reforms for the benefit of workers.

He however, commended Governor Fubara for approving an N85,000 minimum wage for workers in the state, noting that the amount was above the national benchmark of N70,000.

Osuma also acknowledged the government’s efforts in the area of workers’ promotions and bonuses, but insisted that pension reforms and extension of years of service remained critical to the long-term welfare and stability of civil servants in Rivers State.

By: King Onunwor

Business

FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

Published

1 week ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Government has launched the South-West zonal engagement and ministerial advocacy tour on the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria share capital mobilisation, sensitisation and cooperative sector digitalisation.

Reports say the initiative was launched through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

According to reports, the advocacy tour, organised by the ministry’s Federal Department of Cooperatives, began on Monday in Lagos.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Abdullahi described the exercise as a strategic effort to reposition the cooperative sector as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity.

“Today represents a defining moment in our collective determination to reposition the cooperative sector as a major driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity,” he said.

The minister noted the modern cooperative movement in Nigeria originated in the South-West following the 1934 Strickland Report, which led to the enactment of the Cooperative Societies Ordinance of 1935.

According to him, the decision to commence the sensitisation and share capital mobilisation tour in the region is symbolic, as it marks a return to the roots of cooperative development in the country.

Abdullahi said the advocacy tour was a direct outcome of resolutions reached at the 8th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Cooperative Affairs held in Abuja in March 2026.

He said the council approved the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, a comprehensive framework designed to strengthen the cooperative sector and align it with the administration’s goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.

“The reform programme focuses on seven strategic pillars, including governance reforms, cooperative financing and the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria, digitalisation, capacity building, value chain development, inclusion of youths, women and persons with disabilities, and strategic partnerships,” he said.

He said the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the digitalisation of the cooperative sector were the two major transformational initiatives under the programme.

“The Cooperative Bank of Nigeria is aimed at rebuilding a strong cooperative financial system capable of supporting cooperators, farmers, artisans, traders, SMEs, youths, women and persons with disabilities with accessible and affordable financial services,” he said.

Abdullahi emphasised that the proposed bank would be government-enabled but not government-funded.

“Government is not establishing the bank as an owner, nor will it rely on Treasury Single Account funds.

“The role of government through the FMAFS is to provide policy support, stakeholder coordination, regulatory facilitation and an enabling environment under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme,” he said.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to cooperative sector transformation.

She described cooperatives as critical tools for promoting inclusive growth, grassroots productivity, food security, financial inclusion and community wealth creation.

Ambrose-Medebem said Lagos State would continue to support reforms and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (2025–2030).

“Together, let us build a cooperative ecosystem that is modern, transparent, digitally enabled, financially inclusive and globally competitive.

“Let us build cooperatives that not only mobilise savings, but also mobilise prosperity,” she said.