….Demands stiffer penalty for drug counterfeiters, importers
In line with the mandate of President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has destroyed 189 truckloads of expired, substandard and unwholesome medical and food products valued at N2.8bn at Sagamu dump site, Ogun State.
The substandard products which included the banned Tramadol with a street value of N283,500,000.00 , are said to be the largest quantity of unwholesome products that the agency has ever destroyed.
The Buhari administration had mandated the agency to ensure that the health of Nigerians was safeguarded.
Addressing journalists during the destruction exercise weekend, Director- General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, said in line with the mandate, the agency stepped up its prevention, detection and response activities towards the elimination of unwholesome foods ,substandard and falsified products as well counterfeiting of all NAFDAC regulated products in the preceding year by training and retraining of relevant staff of the agency.
Adeyeye disclosed that the products were seized from different parts of the country over a period of one year.
Giving insight into the products, she said: “The products being destroyed today are made up of substandard and falsified medical products, unwholesome processed food products, unsafe cosmetics, counterfeits and other expired NAFDAC regulated products seized by the agency from manufacturers, importers and distributors.
“Also up for destruction are expired products voluntarily handed over to the agency by compliant companies, non-governmental organizations and trade unions.
“The estimated street value of the products scheduled for destruction today is N2, 675,896,538.20. While the street value of the banned Tramadol is N283,500,000.00) which is about N2.8bn.”
Adeyeye noted that NAFDAC had taken giant strides in the fight against counterfeiting in Nigeria in the first quarter of 2019.
According to her, the investigation and enforcement officers of the agency had arraigned one Mr. Luke Mbah, an importer, at the Federal High Court, Lagos for smuggling banned and fake 488 cartons of Barcadin with Codeine (cough syrup), fake 207cartons of Afrodiac Diclofenac Potassium tablets among other fake drugs under his custody.
The NAFDAC boss also disclosed that the agency had arraigned one Mr. MadubuikeChukwunonye who allegedly sold cough syrup with codeine to a BBC undercover agent in April, 2018 at the Federal High Court, Lagos.
“One businessman, Mr. Ebenezer Arimiwem, was convicted of the manufacture, distribution, packaging, labelling and processing of different brands of Counterfeit Cosmetic Products and was sentenced to fifteen months in prison without an option of fine”, she added.
Citing the health implications of fake drugs , Adeyeye appealed to the judiciary arm of government to apply stiffer sanctions to deter counterfeiters because of the danger they have posed, continue and still pose to the society and all consumers of their dangerous products.
She also urged the National Assembly to pass the Counterfeit Medical Products Bill in order to strengthen the agency’s fight against counterfeiting in Nigeria.
Calling for increased inter agency collaboration in the fight against fake drugs, Adeyeye noted: “It is pertinent to mention that the fight is capital intensive and we need the support of the states, local government councils and all credible and responsible corporate bodies.”
In his remarks, Director, Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, Mr. Kingsley Ejiofor, also demanded stiffer penalty for drug counterfeiters in the country to serve as deterrent to others, insisting that more punitive punishments were required to tackle the menace .
Ejiofor also urged Nigerians to rise against the challenge by preaching the gospel against counterfeiting everywhere they go.
