As part of efforts to safeguard public health, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) destroyed confiscated counterfeit, expired and substandard consumables mopped from the five states in the North Central.
The NAFDAC Zonal Director, North Central, Kenneth Azikwe, made this known on Thursday at the destruction site in Angwan Rere, along Shendam road, Lafia.
Azikwe who represented the Director General of the agency, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, said that NAFDAC is vested with statutory responsibility to enter any premises suspected to be producing, stocking, distributing or selling any fake, substandard, adulterated, unwholesome and counterfeit products at any time and place, if need be, by force and confiscate any violative items, arrest, detain and prosecute any person or person(s) found at that premises at that given time or connected to the act.
He warned that the agency will not compromise its responsibility to ensure that only the right quality and safe products are consumed by Nigerians and by citizens of other nations residing in or visiting Nigeria.
He assured that the agency is taking enforcement more seriously to ensure thorough Inspection of storage, distribution, and sales outlets, and that strictly regulated products are stored/distributed in line with Good Distribution and Storage Practices (GDSP) to guarantee the safety and quality of the product until it reaches the final consumer.
“It is in the course of carrying out our activities by officers of this Agency in these states that yielded this large quantity of items that we are about to destroy now. The items for destruction you are seeing here are worth over N5billion, comprising Food, Drugs, Medical Devices, Detergents, Chemicals, etc.
“Some of these items were intentionally hoarded, concealed and deliberately revalidated after their expiration date, maliciously positioned and displayed for sales by some unscrupulous ‘Merchants of death’ who call themselves businessmen for sales to unsuspecting Nigerians.
“Some, however, were voluntarily handed over to the agency by some well-meaning and God-fearing businessmen and women,” he said.
He declared that it would no longer be business as usual under Prof Adeyeye, noting that “the agency will not rest on its oars nor leave any stone unturned in our bid to uphold our mandate of safeguarding the health of the nation.”
In other news, the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised concerns over the harmful market practices common among traders and warned that the agency will not spare anyone caught in the practice.
The Zonal Director, North Central Zone of the agency, Pharmacist Kenneth Azikwe, handed down the warning while speaking to Guardian in Minna shortly after the stakeholders’ engagement meeting.
Pharmacist Kenneth disclosed that the addition of AZODIE to palm oil to make it more attractive is a dangerous marketing practice, regretting that marketers add the Azodie so that the palm oil looks redder.
Azikwe added, “This act is done by marketers at night, and it is most unfortunate,” he said.
