EFCC quizzes NAFDAC boss, Orhi

Investigators at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission are currently questioning the director general of National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Paul Orhi, over corruption allegations.

Mr. Orhi, a very reliable source told PREMIUM TIMES, was being grilled on allegations of contracts awarded by the DG.

The source also said that Mr. Orhi might likely be allowed to go home, especially given that there were documents he was asked to make available to the commission.

Mr. Orhi has been accused of massive corruption at the food and drug administration office.

A former finance director of NAFDAC, Ademola Mogbojuri, said Mr. Orhi was behind shady deal and financial recklessness at the agency.

He said Mr. Orhi refused to remit funds meant for the federation account, and instead funneled the agency’s internally generated revenues to fund political campaign in his home Benue State.

“Some of the companies they used to carry out the deals have collected over N6bn in the last two years,” Mr. Mogbojuri told Punch in July. “Towards the general election this year, he collected a lot of money and used it to buy vehicles, which he branded and gave to a governorship aspirant in his native Benue State. The financial recklessness of the DG has brought NAFDAC onto its knees.”

The DG denied the allegations.

In an interview with Vanguard, Mr. Orhi said the claims were false.

“We have not indulged in reckless spending as claimed. Take a look at the person making the allegations, the former director of finance and administration,” he was quoted as saying.

“He is the person who has been making the payments for the past three to four years. Then suddenly when he was reassigned, he woke up to discover that there were irregularities.”