By Henry Umoru, ABUJA

THE Senate, Thursday, rejected productivity allowance allocated to staff of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, that amounts to N323 million without approval by National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, NSIWC.

According to the Senate, the rejection became imperative because of illegal increment of NAFDAC staff allowance on 2016 Auditor General of  the Federation’s query.

The rejection was carried out by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts chaired by Senator Matthew Uhroghide, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP (Edo South) that hinged its resolution on the report of the Auditor-General of the Federation.

It predates me, say Prof Adeyeye

The allowance tagged as “Productivity Allowance” was said to have been carried out with payment voucher dated April 13, 2015 without the approval from NSIWC, which is the legitimate body to approval allowance.

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However, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who admitted that the approval had not been granted, said that work was still ongoing on the approval from the Commission.

According to her, “the Productivity Allowance predated me and there was no excuse at all.

“The continuation of it is what I met; we are waiting for Salaries and Wages Commission to regularise it.

“Our staff are poorly paid and I have said it at different fora.”

The Deputy  Chairman of the Senate  Committee on Public Accounts,  Senator Suleiman Hadeja, thereafter, stepped down the query till the NAFDAC obtained the approval for the increment from the Commission.

Vanguard News Nigeria