Opinion
NAFDAC And Revolution In Drug Distribution
This is the concluding part of the article published last Monday.
Under this arrangement, licenced and NAFDAC certified pharmaceautical products either manufactured domestically, or imported will be compulsorily channelled or forwarded to both the regional and states drug markets for thourough re-examination and reconfirmation by the agency officials imploying its evolved modern anti-counterfeiting paraphanelias in this merely wholesalers dominated markets. Upon certification of products quality by NAFDAC,the wholesalers will then be allowed to commence sales to the retailers comprising community pharmacies, public/primary health care centers,private health institutions as well as the patent and proprietary medicines vendors (PPMV) who will in turn sell to the consumers or general public based strictly on priscriptions and recommendations from the appropriate medical experts in line with medical proceedures.
At a well attended launch of the National Drug Distribution Guidelines, Nigeerian National Pharmacovigilance Policy and Implimentation Framework as well’ as the inauguration of Drug Distribution Advocates of Nigeria recently organised by the Federal Ministry of Health at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in the Nation’s capital territory, Abuja (ie Thursday 7th,February,2013),the Nation’s Health Minister, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu,Chairman Senate Committee on Health, Dr I.A.Okowa and other notable stakeholders in the nation’s health sector were full of optimism that this re-engineered revolution in the nation’s quest for an outrightly sanitized and standardized pharmaceautical products distribution and marketing will indeed achieve the desired positive goals and objectives which will in turn impart positively on the nation’s health care delivery sector.
It was unanimously observed that the unco-ordinated status of drug circulation and distribution over the years have posed a great challenge to both the pharmaceautical sector and government in view of the negative impact it has had on the nation’s health care delivery system.There is no doubt that our previous haphazard drug distribution manner accounted for the presence of a considerable degree of adulterated,sud-standard and fake pharmaceauticals circulating in our society which inturn became tantamount to our desire for effective,efficient and internationally comparable health care system.
Undoubtedly.the current arrangement is certain to ursher in an appreciable era of availability of affordable,efficacious,safe and good quality drugs considering the fact that the private sector is to establish the Mega Drug Distribution Centers also known as the regional drug markets while government of states are saddled with the establishment of state drug distribution centers equally regarded as states drug markets thereby boosting positively, the nation,s health sector.While it will help ease identification of pharmaceautical products including mode of distribution, its sources at every level of healthcare provision and mode of distribution will also be stresslessly identified thereby instilling orderliness and absolute confidence in its distribution, particularly since NAFDAC will deploy its drug certification and authentificatio merchinery to the markets for effective combating of both counterfeited pharmaceauticals from the new distribution chain such that normalcy and success is unavoidably attained in the sector.
While ensuring that “drug”,a precious health boosting commodity is accorded its reverred and reliable status,as it will no longer be ubiquitous and carelessly displayed and sold in the open markets since the manufacturers and importers will be compelled to channel drugs only via certified drug markets,it will equally help ensure that healthcare facilities both government and privately owned nationwide source and procure drugs from these genuine and dependable healthy system.Although the desired agency’s resolve to positively and urgently reverse current urgly trend where drugs meant for curative and preventive purposes are accessed and sold by quacks who lack knowledge of its composition and capabilitiesas would be achieved,it also help compel importers, smugglers, producers and marketers of counterfeited or fake pharmaceuticals to desist from flooding the nation’s health centres, hospitals, pharmacies and stores with life terminating cum endangering substances, thereby entrenching accountability in the trade which will in turn enhance sanity in the system.
While it would help restore and boost the previously eroded integrity, confidence and reputation in the pharmacy profession in Nigeria, the system when entrenched will successfully make drug trade a no-go-area for quacks. Expectedly, the current ubiquitous drug selling and distribution manner which adorns the nation will fizzle out and give rise to an ideally sanitised system where all drug dealers will optionlessly, source products from a unified, accountable , reliable and scientifically manned point of supply (the drug markets) which will accommodate big time pharmaceutical dealers who will take delivery of drug consignments meant for Nigerian markets from whom minute drug dealers/sellers nationwide will depend for product supply which would have been thoroughly examined and positively certified by NAFDAC for public consumption and use in medical centers since the agency will have an operational base comprising scientific equipment and seasoned staff situated in the market.
The problem of influx of fake or counterfeited pharmaceutical products into the country through Nigeria porous land borders will be automatically and eternally resolved by the anticipated international standard drug markets which incidentally will act as a single channel through which pharmaceutical products can gain entry into all the nooks and crannies of the entire federation.
Undoubtedly, enormous benefits are derivable from this initiative. Infants and adults death rates will be seriously reduced to its barest minimum level. Apart from boosting patronage for home made drugs, thereby expanding their revenue base, it will foster increase in their employment generating abilities while also guaranteeing job security for those employed in such firms.
The system will help maximally restore previously eroded confidence on locally produced drugs as fakers will be chased out from markets.
While equally guaranteeing efficacy of our indigenous medical services, medical services will by extension help preserve and boost foreign exchange earning for the nation via commercialized medical services.
Ikhilae, a public affairs analyst, resides in Port Harcourt.
Martins F.O. Ikhilae
Opinion
Restoring Order, Delivering Good Governance
The political atmosphere in Rivers State has been anything but calm in 2025. Yet, a rare moment of unity was witnessed on Saturday, June 28, when Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, appeared side by side at the funeral of Elder Temple Omezurike Onuoha, Wike’s late uncle. What could have passed for a routine condolence visit evolved into a significant political statement—a symbolic show of reconciliation in a state bruised by deep political strife.
The funeral, attended by dignitaries from across the nation, was more than a moment of shared grief. It became the public reflection of a private peace accord reached earlier at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. There, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu brought together Governor Fubara, Minister Wike, the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and other lawmakers to chart a new path forward.
For Rivers people, that truce is a beacon of hope. But they are not content with photo opportunities and promises. What they demand now is the immediate lifting of the state of emergency declared in March 2025, and the unconditional reinstatement of Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Dr. Ngozi Odu, and all suspended lawmakers. They insist on the restoration of their democratic mandate.
President Tinubu’s decision to suspend the entire structure of Rivers State’s elected leadership and appoint a sole administrator was a drastic response to a deepening political crisis. While it may have prevented a complete breakdown in governance, it also robbed the people of their voice. That silence must now end.
The administrator, retired naval chief Ibok-Ette Ibas, has managed a caretaker role. But Rivers State cannot thrive under unelected stewardship. Democracy must return—not partially, not symbolically, but fully. President Tinubu has to ensure that the people’s will, expressed through the ballot, is restored in word and deed.
Governor Fubara, who will complete his six-month suspension by September, was elected to serve the people of Rivers, not to be sidelined by political intrigues. His return should not be ceremonial. It should come with the full powers and authority vested in him by the constitution and the mandate of Rivers citizens.
The people’s frustration is understandable. At the heart of the political crisis was a power tussle between loyalists of Fubara and those of Wike. Institutions, particularly the State House of Assembly, became battlegrounds. Attempts were made to impeach Fubara. The situation deteriorated into a full-blown crisis, and governance was nearly brought to its knees.
But the tide must now turn. With the Senate’s approval of a record ?1.485 trillion budget for Rivers State for 2025, a new opportunity has emerged. This budget is not just a fiscal document—it is a blueprint for transformation, allocating ?1.077 trillion for capital projects alone. Yet, without the governor’s reinstatement, its execution remains in doubt.
It is Governor Fubara, and only him, who possesses the people’s mandate to execute this ambitious budget. It is time for him to return to duty with vigor, responsibility, and a renewed sense of urgency. The people expect delivery—on roads, hospitals, schools, and job creation.
Rivers civil servants, recovering from neglect and under appreciation, should also continue to be a top priority. Fubara should continue to ensure timely payment of salaries, address pension issues, and create a more effective, motivated public workforce. This is how governance becomes real in people’s lives.
The “Rivers First” mantra with which Fubara campaigned is now being tested. That slogan should become policy. It must inform every appointment, every contract, every budget decision, and every reform. It must reflect the needs and aspirations of the ordinary Rivers person—not political patrons or vested interests.
Beyond infrastructure and administration, political healing is essential. Governor Fubara and Minister Wike must go beyond temporary peace. They should actively unite their camps and followers to form one strong political family. The future of Rivers cannot be built on division.
Political appointments, both at the Federal and State levels, must reflect a spirit of fairness, tolerance, and inclusivity. The days of political vendettas and exclusive lists must end. Every ethnic group, every gender, and every generation must feel included in the new Rivers project.
Rivers is too diverse to be governed by one faction. Lasting peace can only be built on concessions, maturity, and equity. The people are watching to see if the peace deal will lead to deeper understanding or simply paper over cracks in an already fragile political arrangement.
Wike, now a national figure as Minister of the FCT, has a responsibility to rise above the local fray and support the development of Rivers State. His influence should bring federal attention and investment to the state, not political interference or division.
Likewise, Fubara should lead with restraint, humility, and a focus on service delivery. His return should not be marked by revenge or political purges but by inclusive leadership that welcomes even former adversaries into the process of rebuilding the state.
“The people are no longer interested in power struggles. They want light in their streets, drugs in their hospitals, teachers in their classrooms, and jobs for their children. The politics of ego and entitlement have to give way to governance with purpose.
The appearance of both leaders at the funeral was a glimpse of what unity could look like. That moment should now evolve into a movement-one that prioritizes Rivers State over every personal ambition. Let it be the beginning of true reconciliation and progress.
As September draws near, the Federal government should act decisively to end the state of emergency and reinstate all suspended officials. Rivers State must return to constitutional order and normal democratic processes. This is the minimum requirement of good governance.
The crisis in Rivers has dragged on for too long. The truce is a step forward, but much more is needed. Reinstating Governor Fubara, implementing the ?1.485 trillion budget, and uniting political factions are now the urgent tasks ahead. Rivers people have suffered enough. It is time to restore leadership, rebuild trust, and finally put Rivers first.
By: Amieyeofori Ibim
Amieyeofori Ibim is former Editor of The Tide Newspapers, political analyst and public affairs commentator
Opinion
Checking Herdsmen Rampage
Do the Fulani herdsmen have an expansionists agenda, like their progenitor, Uthman Dan Fodio? Why are they everywhere even the remotest part of other areas in Nigeria harassing, maiming, raping and killing the owners of the land?”
In a swift reaction, The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) decried and strongly condemned the invasion by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
In his denunciation, MOSOP President Fegalo Nsuke described the incident as very unfortunate and deeply troubling, warning against a recurrence of the violence experienced in Benue State. “The killing of yesterday is bad and very unfortunate. We are getting preliminary information about how the herders gained access to the farmland, and it appears some hoodlums may be collecting money and granting access illegally.”
He called on the Hausa community in Rivers State to intervene swiftly to prevent further attacks.
“We want the Hausa community in Rivers State to take urgent action to ensure these issues are resolved”.
But will such appeal and requests end the violent disposition of the Fulani herdsmen? It is not saying something new that the escalating threat and breach of peace across the country by the Fulani herdsmen or those suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, leaves much to be desired in a country that is bedevilled by multi-dimensional challenges and hydra-headed problems.
Some upland Local Government Areas of Rivers State, such as Etche, Omuma, Emohua, Ikwerre, Oyigbo, Abua, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, have severally recounted their ordeals, as herdsmen invaded farmlands, destroyed crops, raped female farmers and killed protestant residents.
Again the wanton destruction of lives and properties which no doubt has overwhelmed the Nigerian Police, makes the clamour for State Police, indispensable. The National Assembly should consider the amendment of the Constitution to allow States to have their Statutory policing agencies.
Opinion
Is Nigeria Democratic Nation?
As insurgency has risen to an all time high in the country were killings has now grown to be a normal daily activity in some part of the nation it may not be safe to say that Nigeria still practices democracy.
Several massacres coming from the Boko Haram and the herdsmen amongst all other insurgencies which have led to the destruction of homes and killing, burning of communities especially in the northern part of the country. All these put together are result of the ethnic battles that are fought between the tribes of Nigeria and this can be witnessed in Benue State where herders and farmers have been in constant clashes for ages. They have experienced nothing but casualties and unrest.
In the month of June 13-14, the Yelwata attack at the Guma Local Government Area by suspected gunmen or herdsmen who stormed the houses of innocent IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) claiming the lives of families, both adults and children estimated to be 200 victims. They were all burnt alive by these unknown gunmen.
This has been recorded as one of the deadliest insurgencies that had happened in recent years. Some security personnel that were trying to fight the unknown gunmen also lost their lives.
Prior to the Yelewata attack, two days before the happening, similar conflict took place in Makurdi on June 11, 2025. 25 people were killed in the State. Even in Plateau State and the Southern Kaduna an attack also took place in the month of June.
All other states that make up the Middle Belt have been experiencing the farmers/herders clash for years now and it has persisted up till recent times, claiming lives of families and children, homes and lands, escalating in 2025 with coordinated assaults.
Various authorities and other villagers who fled for safety also blamed the herdsmen in the State for the attack that happened in Yelwata community.
Ehebha God’stime is an Intern with The Tide.
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