Business

NAFDAC Boss Denies Corruption Allegation

Published

9 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

Western Marine Command Intensifies Anti-Smuggling Operations … Intercepts N8.75m Worth PMS

Published

2 days ago

May 17, 2024

The Tide

For officers and men of the Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the battle is not over until smuggling is over.
In the wake of Wednesday May, 8, 2024, the ever vigilant officers, acting on a tip-off, intercepted 177 sacks and 61 kegs of 25 litres containing petroleum products, valued at about N8.750,000million.
The items were intercepted along Isalu Creek, Badagry Waterway en-route Benin Republic.
While briefing newsmen, the Command’s Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Paul Bamisaiye, said: “This seizure is most economically significant to the Command at this period of scarcity of Petroleum Products, especially Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in our cities, and shows the anticipatory posture in our response to economic saboteurs.
“At about 2:330hrs on Wednesday 8th May 2024, while on joint patrol by teams in the Command, credible intelligence was received of the movement of 2 boats laden with what was suspected to be petroleum products concealed in sacks. Upon receipt of the information, the team moved into Isalu creeks, Badagry waterway.
“On sighting the approach of the Officers, the smugglers took to their heels through the shore of the Creek. The loaded boats were then towed to the station at Badagry where preliminary examination was conducted and transferred to Western Marine Command Headquarters, Ibafon, Apapa, Lagos.
“Careful examination at the Command Headquarters revealed that the arrest was found to contain One Hundred and Seventy Seven (177) Sacks and Sixty One (61) Kegs of 25 Litres Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) containing Twelve Thousand Five Hundred (12,500) Liters with a total Duty Paid Value standing at Eight Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N8,750,000) only”.
Bamisaiye noted that the action of the smugglers is a contravention of Section 245 & 254 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 which the service, through Western Marine Command, is responsible for enforcing.
“The Command, under the leadership of Compt. PK Bamisaiye, is poised more than ever to rid the waterways of all acts of smuggling and economy sabotage for the benefit of the growth of economy of Nigeria”, he said
Bamisaiye said so far, no suspect was arrested in the Command’s anti-smuggling operations.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

Illegal PMS Trading Booms In Lagos

Published

2 days ago

May 17, 2024

The Tide

Petroleum products being sought by motorists have disappeared from virtually all filling stations within Lagos and its environs, but are now booming in business in retail outlets.
Investigations by our correspondent revealed that while the product could not be got at some of the petrol service stations, activities are in top gear in the local retail outlets where the price has gone beyond the reach of users.
It was also gathered that in some filling stations supplied with the products, preference are often given to retail outlet operators by petrol attendants against the consuming public.
A source, directly involved in the business, said some petrol dealers are cashing on the irregular supply to divert the products to retail outlets where they could easily make their gains.
It was also gathered that some sales representatives in the service of major oil marketing firms indulged in the diversion exercise because of their personal interest.
At the retail outlets a liter goes for N950,00 against the normal N760,to N800 at some stations.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

Customs Board Appoints Five DCGs, Eight ACGs

Published

2 days ago

May 17, 2024

The Tide

The Nigeria Customs Service Board (NCSB) has confirmed the appointment of five Deputy Comptroller-Generals (DCGs) and eight Assistant Comptrollers-General (ACGs) of Customs during its 59th regular meeting.
The meeting, chaired by the Honorable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, was held at the Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters in Abuja last Tuesday.
National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Chief Superintendent of Customs, Abdullahi Maiwada, who disclosed this in a statement yesterday, gave details of the confirmed appointments as: O.O. Peters (DCG /Commander, Training and Doctrine Command (rtd); B.M. Jibo (DCG Enforcement Inspection & Investigation); and B.U. Nwanfor (DCG Excise, Free Trade Zone & Industrial Incentives).
Others are: S.A. Bomia (DCG, Commander Training and Doctrine Command); and C.K. Niagwan (DCG, Tariff & Trade).
The Assistant Comptrollers General (ACGs) are: B. Imam (ACG Board); A.A.S. Oloyede (ACG, Trade & Tariff); S.K. Dangaldima (ACG/Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘B’); A. Abdul Azeez (ACG/Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘D’); S.A. Yusuf (ACG, Human Resource Development); N.P. Umoh (ACG, Training and Doctrine Command); C.O. Obih (ACG/Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘C’); and S. Chiroma (ACG, Strategic Research and Policy).
The new appointments, according to the statement, were made to fill the vacancies created by some senior officers who recently retired from the Service, noting that the principles of federal character, seniority and merit guided the appointments approved by the board.
“These appointments are a testament to the officers’ exemplary services and dedication to the Nigeria Customs Service. The NCSB remains committed to providing strategic leadership to ensure effective and efficient service delivery for optimum performance”, he said.
While thanking the retired members of the management for their meritorious services, the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, congratulated the newly confirmed officers and charged them to redouble their efforts to ensure the service attains greater heights in its mandates of revenue generation, suppression of smuggling, and trade facilitation amongst others.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos