Sequel to petition against the Director General of the Nigerian Agency For Food and Drug Administration ( NAFDAC ), Dr. Paul Orhii over allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement, a coalition of 14 civil societies has condemned the false allegations.
The Civil Societies who came under the aegis of African Arise for Change Network spoke through Secretary General Mr. Samson Bello.It noted that the plan of such groups are aimed at misleading Nigerians into thinking such individuals behind them are against corruption while the reverse is the case.
“Chief, among their strategy is to use disgruntled elements within government offices, agencies and parastatals to pose as whistle blowers to media house and consequently send operatives of anti-corruption agencies on wild goose chase. The anticipated end result of this scheme is to overwhelm the EFCC, ICPC and Police FIU with frivolous petitions whose investigation would spread operatives thin thereby rendering them ineffective,” he said.
According to Bello the saboteurs have scored their first hit with their sponsored group of protesters that on Tuesday staged a march towards the EFCC headquarters to demand the resignation of the Chairman of the Commission simply for doing his statutory job and declining to be engaged for witch-hunting.
“Our greater worry is however about the impact that such frivolous petition would have on the ability of Nigerians firms to export their produce at a time the nation is looking to diversifying its revenue base. The stories online about the petition have been dispersed in cyberspace and any search about made in Nigeria goods will return results that will suggest that the regulatory framework is corrupt contrary to the reality on ground.
“The allegation also have the potential to distract the anti corruption crusade as the relevant agencies could soon become wary of chasing shadows when they found out that many of the petitions and demands by agitating groups are unfounded. There is also the ugly aspect of national productivity plummeting as jobbers and conmen use anti graft agencies to harass and distract well meaning chief executive officers of government agencies”. They lamented further.
The Coalition has therefore called on the EFCC, NAFDAC and by extension all Nigerians to disregard the distractions constituted by the protesting groups as well as their sponsored petitions.
