Posted by By AKEEB ALARAPE, Ibadan on
There appears to be no let up in the crisis involving maverick politician, Chief Lamidi Adedibu, as the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Dora Akunyili, described the 80-year-old politician as a stumbling block to the activities of her agency.
There appears to be no let up in the crisis involving maverick politician, Chief Lamidi Adedibu, as the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Dora Akunyili, described the 80-year-old politician as a stumbling block to the activities of her agency.
Akunyili, who was in Ibadan yesterday to flag off the NAFDAC/NYSC Grassroots Sensitization programme of the agency, as well as partake in the interactive meeting with stakeholders in the state, complained to both the state governor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala and the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade 1, of how the old politician and his agents have been obstructing NAFDAC officials from carrying out their responsibilities in Oyo State.
According to the NAFDAC boss, the chieftain of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has constituted a stumbling block to the determination of her agency to rid Oyo State of fake and counterfeit drugs and other illegal products in the state.
"I want to seize this opportunity of the visit to your Excellency (Governor Akala) to tell you that we have problems in Oyo State. The problems are weighing us down. We want to seize the opportunity of this courtesy visit to tell you what we are going through maybe you can sort it out for us. We have been having a lot of problems with Chief Adedibu.
'When we were working on unfortified spaghetti and macaroni that were smuggled into the country and that were unhealthy for consumption of our people, Chief Adedibu got to our office and threatened our staff and stopped that activity.
'He did not stop at that, when NAFDAC closed Kollington Fisheries, Chief Adedibu sent his boys to go and open the warehouse. When my staff reported to me, I told them to go back and seal it. They went back and sealed the warehouse, Chief Adedibu sent his boys to go and reopen it.
'Nobody has ever done this in Nigeria since we started our activities. Chief Adedibu never allowed us to complete any investigation. Never allowed us to carry out sanctions that we carry out in other states. I have great problem in Onitsha and Kano, but in Oyo State, we could not carry out sanctions because of the activities of Chief Adedibu," Prof Akunyili stated.
In their separate responses, both the governor and Olubadan pledged to work in concert with NAFDAC to ensure a hitch-free operation in the state by calling Adedibu to order.
Akala, who did not hide his displeasure over the allegations levelled against his political godfather, assured the NAFDAC boss that he would 'personally confront Baba Adedibu to make sure that he does not turn the state into a den for the enemies of NAFDAC."
The Olubadan, on whose desk lies myriads of petitions against Adedibu, likened Professor Akunyili to Jesus Christ, who died to save mankind based on her dedication to her duty to rid the country of fake drugs.
Oba Odulana noted with relish that the NAFDAC boss had placed her life on the line for others to live, promising that he would invite Chief Adedibu to his palace to defend himself of the allegations.
Meanwhile, one of the aides of Adedibu, Alhaji Taofeek Olayiwola, absolved Adedibu of the NAFDAC allegations, saying that the old politician could never do such a thing as his own family members were benefiting from the activities of NAFDAC.
'What concern Adedibu with NAFDAC again? It is a lie.
He cannot do such a thing. He is loving and caring and by the way, his own family members have been benefiting from the activities of the agency. He cannot hamper their activities," Olayiwola stated.