Nation
NAFDAC Wants Stiffer Penalty For Peddlers Of Counterfeit, Unwholesome Drugs
The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), yesterday in Abuja appealed to the judiciary to institute stiffer penalty against peddlers of counterfeit and unwholesome drugs.
The agency also called on the National Assembly to pass the Counterfeit Medical Product Bill to strengthen the agency’s war against offenders, and to make the penalty serve as a deterrent to abusers.
The appeal is contained in a statement signed by the agency’s resident media consultant, Mr Olusayo Akintola, and made available to newsmen in Abuja yesterday.
The statement quoted NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, as saying that perpetrators of the illicit trade do capitalise on the weak law in the land to wreak havoc on the nation’s health system.
She spoke against the backdrop of the ongoing destruction of falsified and expired medicines, cosmetics, and unwholesome food products across the country by the agency.
The NAFDAC boss appealed to the judiciary to take sterner view of counterfeiting and apply the maximum penalty of the weak laws to deter counterfeiters and fraudsters from the dangers they pose to the society.
Adeyeye said that the dangerous business would be made unattractive if it carries maximum penalty against offenders, while appealing to NASS to pass counterfeit medical product Bill to reinforce the war against counterfeiting in Nigeria.
She warned that henceforth, there would be no hiding place for the merchants of death, who she said, derived joy in circulating expired, falsified drugs and putting the health of millions of Nigerians at risk.
Adeyeye said that NAFDAC had resolved to go after those who engage in circulation of counterfeited and expired medicines in the country until they are apprehended and made to face the wrath of the law.
She said that the agency would not rest on its oars until those merchants of death desist from the nefarious activities, even though NAFDAC had seized and destroyed unwholesome products worth over N 5 billion in five months.
According to her, the agency destroyed unwholesome medicines, expired food items and cosmetics worth N1,429,580,683.00 in Awka, the capital city of Anambra State, in March for South-South and Southeast operations.
She recalled that such dangerous products, worth N613,300,290.00, were also destroyed in Kano within the same period.
She said that the agency also moved to Gombe in May to destroy counterfeited and expired medicines, and food items worth N515,732.587 as well as mopped up in the Northeast.
According to Prof Adeyeye, fake and expired medicines, and food products, worth N2,482,600,290, seized in the Southwest were destroyed in Shagamu, Ogun State, last week.
She assured Nigerians that the Agency would stop at nothing to apprehend the people who engage in the illicit business of endangering the lives of undescerning consumers who patronise them.
“The operatives of the agency had combed the nooks and crannies of the five geo-political zones of the federation, namely, North West, North East, South East, South-South and South West.
“This is to mop up expired drugs and unwholesome food products with a view to safeguarding the health of the Nigerian people,” she said.
Adeyeye noted that the destruction was part of the efforts to rid the Nigerian market of unwholesome products and engender public confidence.
“The destroyed products include drugs such as antibiotics, anti-hypertensive, antimalarial, herbal remedies, psychoactive, controlled substance, food products such as spaghetti, vegetable oil, non-alcoholic beverages, sachet water, chocolates and noodles.
“The continued destruction of the spurious products would eliminate the risk of their reintroduction into the market. Drug counterfeiting is an act of economic sabotage and it poses serious threat to public health.”
“This is why NAFDAC has resolved to safeguard the health of the people and ensure that only genuine medicines that are wholesome are sold in Nigeria,” she said.
“She said that the flag off of the southwest zonal destruction exercise was in line with the agency mandate and strategy aimed at eradicating the reintroduction of expired, Substandard and Falsified (SFs) medical products.
She therefore appreciated the support of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Department of State Security (DSS) and Nigeria Security, Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), and solicited for sustained synergy of the security agencies to ensure that the country was rid of illicit, fake and unwholesome NAFDAC regulated products.
She appealed to community leaders, faith-based organizations, health practitioners and the media to continue to educate members of the public to desist from patronizing quacks and hawkers of medicines and unwholesome foods.
Adeyeye appealed to members of the public to release valuable information that would help in getting information to fight these merchants of unwholesome products.
The Rivers state Government has identified six local government areas with the highest burden of maternal and Neonatal mortality in the state.
State Commissioner for Health Dr Adaeze Chidinma Oreh said this in an interview with newsmen at the Maternal and Neonatal Reduction innovation initiative ( Mamii)Rivers state activation workshop and state engagement meeting in Port Harcourt.
The event was organized by The Federal Ministry of Health in conjunction with its Rivers state counterpart in Port Harcourt.
Dr Oreh also restated the preparedness of the state government to support current efforts by the federal government towards the reduction of maternal and infant mortalities in the country.
She mentioned the affected Local Government Areas to include, Andoni,Akuku Toru and Ahoada West
The rest according to the Commissioner are, Bonny, Etche and Emohua Local Government Areas.
She said the workshop will enable the team from the federal ministry of health and social welfare to brainstorm with the view to finding solution to the problem.
The Commissioner also gave reasons why the Mamii initiative was the best as far as finding solution to maternal mortality was concerned.
“The uniqueness of the Mamii initiative driven by the federal ministry of health and social welfare was that we used evidence to elicit the reasons for this deaths, so that the solutions will be context specific and tailored to the particular environment where those deaths are occuring
“For us in Rivers state we have six Mamii LGAs , nationally we we have 172 local government areas “the Commissioner said.
Earlier in her opening remarks,Dr Oreh said the state government is prepared to work with the federal ministry of health and social welfare to check the rate of maternal mortality in the state.
She commended The Minister of Health and Social welfare Professor Ali Muhammad Pategi for driving the Mamii initiative across the country and expressed optimism that the programm will see to the end of maternal mortality in the country.
Also speaking the National Coordinator Nigeria health sector Renewal Initiative Dr Adam Ahmed said Rivers state is the last state among Mamii states in the country to host the team.
He said the team will visit the affected Local Government Areas with the view to interacting with the people on how to check the trend.
He expressed the hope that with continuous efforts, maternal mortality will be checked.
Also speaking the permanent secretary Rivers state Ministry of Health Professor Justinah Jumbo said the government is not leaving any stone unturned towards reduction in maternal deaths.
The permanent secretary said Governor Siminalaye Fubara is a health friendly Governor who is desirous in improving the quality of health of Rivers people.
John Bibor
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rivers state has declared a one day fasting and prayer to seek divine intervention on the political crisis rocking the state.
The Association said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt.
State chairman of the Association,Most Rev. Dokiboeriya B. Kaladokubo said the fasting and prayer which holds February 5th at the Ecumenical center Abonnema wharf was in furtherance of the Association peace, advocacy, good governance and political stability in Rivers state.
He said the Association has observed with disappointment the dangerous trend and and gradual descent of governance in Rivers state into uncertainty and near oblivion, adding that the trend has exposed Rivers citizens to insecurity, economic hardship, loss of livelihood and the destruction of lives and property.
Kaladokubo said the association has also watched with dismay the unfolding political crisis in the state, stressing “what we see today is not merely a disagreement among political actors,it is a dangerous drift that threatens the very foundation of governance, peace, security and the collective well-being of our people”
According to him,”as the custodians of the spiritual and moral conscience of Rivers state,we can not remain silent while the state is pushed steadily towards chaos, institutional breakdown and avoidable suffering
“We are not oblivious of the fact that Rivers state like some other states in the federation often experience tension between the Executive and the Legislature “adding”when disagreement escalate they can hinder governance, delay budgets ,erode public trust and impede peaceful, constructive development”
The Christian body stressed the need for parties involved in the conflict to seek for peaceful resolution, stressing that as Christians and children of God “we should seek the path of peace and reconciliation as Christ Himself taught us”it said
The Association further encourage the both arms of government to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness and prioritize good governance in Rivers state
“We also advised all the parties in these conflict to call their supporters to exercise restraint in all their utterances and de-escalate tension in the interest of peace in Rivers state ”
CAN also described as disturbing the role some elder statesmen and individuals in the state have played and continue to play in the crisis when they should have serve as voices of wisdom, restraint and unity
“Rather than guiding the process towards peace, some have taken sides,fueled division and encouraged instability becoming more dangerous than those currently holding power”,it said.
John Bibor
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