Senate panel orders prosecution of NAFDAC contractor

By JOHN AKUBO

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts, yesterday, directed that a contractor who purchased a second-hand 1000KVA generator for National Agency For Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) at N97million be prosecuted.

The electricity generator later went bad four months after purchase for the Isolo office of the agency in Lagos.

The fraud was uncovered in the 2016 Auditor General’s report being considered by the Senate Public Accounts Committee.

It was discovered that NAFDAC ignored the recommendation of the supervising consultants that 2500KVA generators should be supplied. Instead, 1000 KVA ‘Tokunbo’ Caterpillar generator was purchased.

Acting Chairman of the Senate committee, Suleiman Hadejia, who lamented the development called for prosecution of the contractor involved by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).

Reacting to a query on the development, the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said no action was taken on the matter until she started her tenure, adding that the contractor had been blacklisted by the agency.

Adeyeye, who told the lawmakers that ICPC was handling the matter, said she was unable to establish whether the contractor has been prosecuted by the anti-graft agency.

The committee vacated the query but urged the agency to ensure that the contractor is prosecuted. (The Guardian)