The Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Paul Orhii, has denied  involvement in a N700 million scam as reported by an online publication.

An online news site had published last month that a  petition to the Economic Financial Crime Commission, EFCC,  linked Orhii to N700million in a Lagos account of his former special assistant, AisahtOkpa-Iwenofu.

The site alleged that the unnamed petitioner had concrete proof of deals between Okpa-Iwenofu and fake drug dealers, claiming  further that she was a mistress to the D-G.

But the NAFDAC boss has denied having illicit relationship withOkpa-Iwenofu and is also claiming ignorance of  the N700 million said to have been found in her bank account. He described the allegation as outright falsehood.

He said he was never invited by the EFCC on the ‘so-called’ petition submitted to the anti-graft agency and that the publication of the allegation through an online news site, an unrecognised newspaper, was a campaign by aggrieved counterfeiting agents to bring him and the agency down.

“There is no iota of doubt that my detractors, some of who are drug counterfeiters would go to any length this time around to paint me black.They are envious, badly hit and uncomfortable with our well-coordinated, multifaceted and successful anti-counterfeiting strategies,” Orhii said.

According to him, the failed attempt to assassinate him in 2010 made his detractors hell-bent on assassinating his character with falsehood.

“How could I sack someone who has got my N700 million without first of all collecting my money? This is absolutely not logical,” he said.

The NAFDAC boss said he remains committed to fighting counterfeit drugs in the country and that his dedication to serving the nation will remain unshaken.

“I can never disappoint millions of Nigerians and friends abroad who have invested so much trust, confidence and hope in me,” he said.

Also speaking, the Chairman, NAFDAC Governing Board, John Ibu, noted that all allegations aimed at the Agency’s DG, were part of the plot to derail him from the good works he was doing.

“The DG has enviable achievements, which is recognised both locally and internationally and we are in support of his fight against fake drugs to safeguard the health of Nigerians. “If there is substance in the allegation, we would have investigated and dealt with it our own way,” he said.