The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NAFDAC

  • Gaidam, Nafdac to fight fake drugs

    The war against fake drugs has   received a boost in Yobe State, with Governor Ibrahim Gaidam directing the  Commissioner for Land to provide land for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to build its offices.

    He asked the Head of Service to provide office accommodation for the agency in the two senatorial districts to reduce the logistic challenges  facing NAFDAC.

    Gaidam, who promised to provide a vehicle to the agency to assist it in patrolling the state, said the donations were in demonstration of  the government’s commitment to assisting NAFDAC to rid the state  of drug misuse and poor handling of pesticides and agro-chemicals.

    He made the donations during a visit by the NAFDAC’s Acting Director-General, Mrs. Yetunde Oni, in his office.

    Mrs Oni was on the visit to inform the governor of the agency’s campaign on “Rational use of controlled medicines, safe handling of chemicals and responsible use of pesticides and agricultural chemicals” in the state.

    The campaign, Mrs Oni said, would empower people with the right knowledge in drug misuse and proper handling of agro-chemicals.

    While declaring the sensitisation workshop open, Gaidam described the initiative as a bold step by the NAFDAC to enlighten the public about the dangers of irrational use of drugs, pesticides and chemicals.

    He said: “This way, the public will be kept abreast of the unpleasant consequences for society if left unchecked.”

    Earlier, Mrs.  Oni, who presented the requests for land and accommodation to the governor, said the NAFDAC’s office, a warehouse and a laboratory complex would be built on the land, adding that they would enhance the performance of the agency in the state via shortening the registration and bringing the agency closer to the grassroots.

    Mrs. Oni said the enlightenment was one of the strategies deployed by NAFDAC to fight substandard and falsified medical products, unwholesome and spurious regulated products.

    “We will continue to sensitise the public on the public health implications of these substandard, falsified and unwholesome regulated products and the efforts of NAFDAC in tackling this ugly menace,” she said.

    She added that collaboration was essential to building sustainable strategies against these problems in addition to other challenges, such as drug abuse as well as misapplication of pesticides and herbicides, which have led to the rejection of these value-added agricultural products in the international market.

    According to her, the health implication caused by this challenge informed the efforts of NAFDAC to educate farmers, herders and other handlers on the appropriate and safe use of pesticides, and develop Guidelines and Standard Operating  Procedure for Chemical Regulation and Control to address emerging issues.

    She added: “Risk assessment and Field Trials of fertiliser have been introduced for effective control and management of agrochemicals.”

    Mrs. Oni implored Nigerians to continue to support NAFDAC in the fight against the proliferation of substandard and falsified medical products, unwholesome food and other substandard or spurious regulated products.

  • NAFDAC warns against importation, production sale of fake products

    NAFDAC warns against importation, production sale of fake products

     

    NAFDAC has warned against the importation, production, sale and use of fake and substandard cosmetics and condiments in the country.

    Mrs Christiana Essenwa, the Deputy Director of NAFDAC in Anambra, gave the warning in Onitsha on Tuesday at a one-day sensitisation workshop for stakeholders in the manufacture and sale of cosmetics and condiments.

    Cosmetics are preparations applied to the face or the body to make it more attractive, while condiments refer to salt, pepper, or similar substances added in small amounts to food, usually at the table, to improve or adjust its flavor.

    Essenwa, who spoke on the topic, `The role of NAFDAC in curbing the health hazards of fake and substandard regulated products’, said the agency had discovered that some cosmetics and condiments contained hazardous ingredients harmful to the body.

    “There is a report that certain long-lasting lipsticks contain aluminum and toxic compounds which are dangerous to health.

    “Again, some of these eyelashes (ladies put on) have also been discovered to cause inflammation of the eyes just as turmeric powder in cosmetics elevates cancer and cacogenic growth.

    “Fake and substandard products generally affect socio-economic development by straining the healthcare system and harming the national economy, tourism and trade,” Essenwa warned.

    The deputy director further warned against deceptive and detrimental advertisement of such products, their use as well as sale of harmful bleaching creams, saying they affect the skin and organs.

    Advising the public to always insist on receipts for purchased items, Essenwa said consumers and retailers should endeavor to report suspicious activities on fake and substandard products.

    “Reject products that do not have NAFDAC registration number; expired products should be discarded; ensure that products have manufacturing date, full and traceable address, before purchasing them,” she added.

    In a remark, the Acting Director-General of NAFDAC, Mrs Yetunde Oni, represented by Mr Fori Tatama, said the fight against counterfeiting of cosmetics and condiments was dear to the agency.

    Oni said the workshop was aimed at building the capacity and strengthening relationship with dealers and importers of cosmetics and condiments in Onitsha.

    Also speaking, Mrs Christabel Okoye, the Chairman of Christabel International, said the 11 years technical partnership with NAFDAC had resulted in reduction of fake and substandard products in the country.

    Okoye emphasised that the fight was `a fight for all’ and urged the public to join in the campaign against products counterfeiting.

    A participant, Mr Obinna Ogbu urged NAFDAC to key into the Federal Government’s robust ‘Whistle Blowing Policy’ to encourage full support of the public in the fight against counterfeiting.

    “You cannot just tell people to blow whistle on their fellow businessmen by just assuring them of anonymity without having something to gain,” Ogbu said.

  • Customs destroy trailer load of imported poultry worth of N35m

    Customs destroy trailer load of imported poultry worth of N35m

    The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘C’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Owerri has destroyed goods with duty pad value of N35 million contained in a 1x40ft trailer.

    Mr Bukar Amajam, the Customs Area Controller in the zone, who spoke to journalists in Owerri on Tuesday at the scene of the destruction, said his officers had been on the trail of the truck for three weeks following a tip off.

    He said his men finally tracked down the vehicle at a stadium in Owerri, Imo capital, last Sunday when all the items were confiscated with the help of sister agencies like NAFDAC, the Police and the Army.

    Amajam expressed regret that in spite of efforts by customs to check smuggling, people still were still bent on making quick money even at the detriment of other peoples’ live.

    He said that the danger inherent in the consumption of imported poultry chicken included damage to human body organs.

    “This 1×40 ft trailer load of frozen imported chicken is a huge loss to the owner.

    “The danger in imported frozen chicken is the mode of preservation which is dangerous for human consumption. The chemical content used for the preservation can be dangerous to health,” he said.

    The comptroller commended the sister agencies for their collaboration and pledged to continue to work with them to rid the state of smugglers.

    Amajam said his men were better equipped, motivated and trained to track down smugglers and their collaborators at anytime and anywhere.

    He advised smugglers to desist from the nefarious duties at they would always regret their actions.

    NAN reports that the 1×40 trailer load contained thousands of bags of frozen chicken which had already started decomposing.

  • Customs hands over seven containers of fake drugs to NAFDAC

    The  Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Apapa Area Command has handed over the seven imported containers  of fake pharmaceutical products from China to the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Lagos.

    Its Area Controller,  Musa Jibrin, told The Nation that the importer’s documentation showed Cimeti-dine drug, but upon examination, it was discovered that the containers  had various pharmaceutical products.

    He said the drugs, which included Newdol, Original, Ivixagrip and Really extral, were not certified by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

    “My officers  were able to discover the pharmaceutical products as a result of 100 per cent examination being carried out by the command.

    “The intercepted drugs are not carrying the NAFDAC certification. It was a false declaration and that was why the command intercepted the seven containers at the same time.

    Jibrin said the interception was successful due to the collaboration  between the Customs and other sister agencies.

    He urged stakeholders to engage in honest declaration to enable Nigeria meet up with the international standards.

    Assistant Director, NAFDAC, Oluyemi Ogunrinde, hailed the Customs. He solicited for more robust collaboration to curtail illicit import.

    “NAFDAC will carry on further investigation on the consignment and we will get back to customs on our findings,” Ogunrinde said.

  • NAFDAC incentivises SMEs

    The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control [NAFDAC] has waived 50 per cent of the registration fee for locally manufactured products in a move aimed at incentivising the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises [SMEs] sub sector.

    The Agency spokesperson, Dr. Abubarkar Jimoh, stated in a press statement that the measure was in response to the federal government’s policy to promote local manufacturing companies in order to boost the domestic economy.

    He explained that the new policy under the leadership of the Agency’s Acting Director General, Mrs. Yetunde Oni, would go a long way to promote economic development.

    Jimoh noted that in the past a lot of people and some licensed consultants had extorted money from innocent Nigerians in the name of NAFDAC registration. “Sometimes back, we discovered that a lot of people were extorting money from Nigerians for registration fee of products. We then decided to license some consultants who are professionals but those unscrupulous elements fizzled into the consultancy firm that registered with us and continued to extort money from potential entrepreneurs.”

    The spokesperson said that they extorted as much as N250,000 to N300,000 for registration against the official fee of less than N50,000, claiming that part of the money will be used to settle NAFDAC officials.

    He explained that in the last seven years, the former NAFDAC DG, Dr. Paul Orhii, introduced a policy that all young graduates willing to establish businesses would be given a waiver.

  • Kano: Two die, as Police, drug dealers clash at Sabon Gari market

    Kano: Two die, as Police, drug dealers clash at Sabon Gari market

    Two people were said to have lost their lives, while some others suffered varying degrees of injury, following a bloody clash between drugs dealers and Security Agencies, including the State Police Force, Kano State Transport Road Agency (KAROTA), Civil Defence and Hisbah in the commercial city of Kano.

    The security agencies were said to have reportedly stormed the Sabon Gari market, Kano and impounded large quantities of drugs and hospital equipment been sold in the market.

    Reacting to the development, the Caretaker Chairman of the Nigeria Association of Patent and Drug Dealers Association (NAPDDA), Nnamdi Dozie, who made the disclosure, said the unarmed drug dealers confronted the Security operatives, who invaded the market on the claims that the dealers were involved in the sale of fake and unregistered drugs in the market.

    While describing the allegations as stage-managed, so as to tarnish the image of the drug dealers and their businesses, Dozie however called on the Kano State Government, including the Emirate Council to intervene, so as to amicably resolve the dispute.

    According to Dozie, numerous efforts by the Drug dealers to table their petition before the authorities proved futile, explaining that the combined security operatives cordoned the market, preventing sellers and buyers from gaining entry into the market.

    Also, Dozie alleged that the police, alongside other security agencies, not only barricaded the market but prevented buyers and sellers from gaining entry into and out of the market.

    Apart from that, he alleged that the Security operatives also harassed them with the butt of their guns, lamenting that in the ensuing scuffle, two people lost their lives.

    ”There is no way that they can fight and defeat the government but we are only pleading for the appropriate authorities to tamper justice with mercy. We are not selling banned drugs, as claimed by the security operatives. We are selling genuine drugs.”

    Meanwhile, the drug and hospital equipment dealers in the market have expressed dismay over the ill-treatment meted on them by security agencies.

    ”What really happened is that, as soon as you gain entry into the market, with your goods, the security agencies will impound and seize the goods. Sometimes, they will not care to screen the goods one is carrying, whether it is among banned goods or not. They seize products, ranging from cotton wool to powder, as well as allegedly collect money from sellers.”

    ”For me, I do not deal on drugs but only sell disposable and hospital equipment. The bottom line is that all the security operatives don’t care.’ We have agencies that can sanitize the market, such as NAFDAC, NDLEA but certainly not the police, who invaded the market vicinity when people started arguing and started shooting into the air. The expended about 24 cartridges, at the end of which two people died.”

    Contacted, the Police Command spokesman, DSP Musa Magaji Majiya, said investigations have commenced to unravel the cause of the clash between security agents and the traders.

     

  • NPA sacks SON, NAFDAC, others from ports

    The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has sacked Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other agencies from the sea ports.

    They are no longer allowed to operate at the ports as the NPA plans to begin the 24-hour operation.

    Managing Director of the NPA MsHadizaBalaUsman, said the eviction of the agencies is to ensure a smooth operation of the ease of doing business as directed by the Federal government.

    Addressing over 600 stakeholders at a forum in Lagos, yesterday, Ms Usman said the eviction of the officials of all agencies operating at the ports illegally became imperative based on the Executive Order issued by Acting President YemiOsinbajo to enhance the ease of doing business, boost efficiency and security in the nation’s sea ports.

    Apart from the NPA which is the landlord, Ms Usman said the agencies allowed by the federal government to operate in the ports are the Nigerian Customs Services (NCS), the Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS), the Police, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Port Health Authority.

    The agencies not allowed under the Executive Order, according to her are: The  StandardsOrganisation of Nigeria (SON), the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Directorate of Naval Intelligence (DNI), the  Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA), the Plant Quarantine and Animal Quarantine (PQAQ) and  the National Environmental Regulatory and Standards Agency (NESREA)

    Ms Usman, who served the immediate quite notice, warned against touting and extortion by official or unofficial persons at the ports.

    She said the NPA had been empowered to enforce the order and ensure efficiency at the ports.

    She restated the determination of the Buhari administration to reduce the time and cost of goods clearance from the ports.

    According to her, the Acting President had directed that the Apapa Ports must embark on 24-hour operation from June 18.

    She said: “I want to recognise seven approved agencies of government that operate at the port. In 2011, an approval was granted to streamline activities of government agencies at the ports.

    “The NDLEA is required to come in and function as at when required. The need to bring all agencies of government at the ports to this forum is demonstrate to stakeholders how the Executive Orders can be achieved.

    “All agencies that are not mentioned are to vacate the port or anywhere they are operating from the ports.

    Customs Comptroller General Col. Hameed Ali, described the action as key to the operations of the service.

    “I want to say we have embarked on a change process. “It is going to stay because we believe all of us should be committed to this. The ease of doing business is to reduce time and processes and cost.

    “I will enjoin all of you to join hands with all of us and to ensure that we implement this to the letter

    Apart from Ali, senior Customs officers, representatives of  government agencies, Terminal operators, shipping companies, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents ( ANLCA), freight forwarders, truck owners and truck drivers, and other stakeholders in the maritime industry, attended the parley.

  • Hajj: Ilorin airport maps out strategy to checkmate drug traffickers

    Hajj: Ilorin airport maps out strategy to checkmate drug traffickers

    The management of llorin International Airport on Tuesday said it had mapped out strategy to detect suspected drug traffickers that would travel to Saudi Arabia for the 2017 Hajj.

    Alhaji Ibrahim AbdulAzeez, the Airport Manager, made this known in llorin in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    He said that the management of the airport had put necessary machinery in place to detect and stop any intending pilgrims indulging in drug trafficking or any negative tendencies capable of giving the country bad image.

    AbdulAzeeez said that the airport had inaugurated 2017 Hajj Committee, which would ensure perfect arrangement for the airlifting and return of all the intending pilgrims.

    He however warned intending pilgrims from the llorin zone with criminal intention to do a rethink by not travelling to the holy land through llorin International Airport.

    He said that members of the committee  were drawn from Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Nigeria Police, Customs, Immigration and Civil Defence.

    Others members are the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Port Health, NAFDAC, and some the airliners.

    It will be recalled that three pilgrims, who traveled through the airport for the 2016 Hajj were arrested in Saudi Arabia over alleged involvement in drug trafficking.

  • NAFDAC waives 50% on registration fee of SMEs

    NAFDAC waives 50% on registration fee of SMEs

    The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it has waived 50 per cent on registration fee for locally manufactured products to promote Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs).

    The NAFDAC spokesperson, Dr Abubakar Jimoh, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday that the measure would go a long way to promote economic development.

    Jimoh explained that it was a new policy of the agency under the leadership of its acting Director-General, Mrs Yetunde Oni.

    He said that the measure was in response to Federal Government’s policy to promote locally manufactured companies in order to boost the economy of the country.

    Jimoh said that in the past, a lot of people and some licensed consultants had extorted money from innocent Nigerians in the name of NAFDAC registration.

    “Sometime back, we discovered that a lot of people were extorting money from Nigerians for registration fee of products. We decided to license some consultants who are professionals.

    “But those unscrupulous elements fizzled into the consultancy firm that registered with us and continued their extortion from potential entrepreneurs.

    “They collect as much N250,000 to N300,000 for registration of less than N50,000, claiming that part of the money will be used to settle NAFDAC officials.

    “The agency has taken decision to stop them after the expiration of their licenses; we will stop them and deal directly with intending manufacturers,” he said.

    Jimoh explained that in the last seven years, the former NAFDAC director-general, Dr Paul Ohi, introduced a policy that all young graduates willing to establish businesses would be given waiver.

    He said that the policy was still in existence but young graduates from NYSC were not taking such advantage.

    The spokesperson noted that NAFDAC recently established a Small Business Desk to guide people going into SMEs on how to set up their small factories.

  • Gaidam joins Nafdac to fight fake drugs

    Gaidam joins Nafdac to fight fake drugs

    The war against fake drugs has   received a boost in Yobe State, with Governor Ibrahim Gaidam directing the  Commissioner for Land to provide land for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to build its offices.

    He asked the Head of Service to provide office accommodation for the agency in the two senatorial districts to reduce the logistic challenges  facing NAFDAC.

    Gaidam, who promised to provide a vehicle to the agency to assist it in patrolling the state, said the donations were in demonstration of  the government’s commitment to assisting NAFDAC to rid the state  of drug misuse and poor handling of pesticides and agro-chemicals.

    He made the donations during a visit by the NAFDAC’s Acting Director-General, Mrs. Yetunde Oni, in his office.

    Mrs Oni was on the visit to inform the governor of the agency’s campaign on “Rational use of controlled medicines, safe handling of chemicals and responsible use of pesticides and agricultural chemicals” in the state.

    The campaign, Mrs Oni said, would empower people with the right knowledge in drug misuse and proper handling of agro-chemicals.

    While declaring the sensitisation workshop open, Gaidam described the initiative as a bold step by the NAFDAC to enlighten the public about the dangers of irrational use of drugs, pesticides and chemicals.

    He said: “This way, the public will be kept abreast of the unpleasant consequences for society if left unchecked.”

    Earlier, Mrs.  Oni, who presented the requests for land and accommodation to the governor, said the NAFDAC’s office, a warehouse and a laboratory complex would be built on the land, adding that they would enhance the performance of the agency in the state via shortening the registration and bringing the agency closer to the grassroots.

    Mrs. Oni said the enlightenment was one of the strategies deployed by NAFDAC to fight substandard and falsified medical products, unwholesome and spurious regulated products.

    “We will continue to sensitise the public on the public health implications of these substandard, falsified and unwholesome regulated products and the efforts of NAFDAC in tackling this ugly menace,” she said.

    She added that collaboration was essential to building sustainable strategies against these problems in addition to other challenges, such as drug abuse as well as misapplication of pesticides and herbicides, which have led to the rejection of these value-added agricultural products in the international market.

    According to her, the health implication caused by this challenge informed the efforts of NAFDAC to educate farmers, herders and other handlers on the appropriate and safe use of pesticides, and develop Guidelines and Standard Operating  Procedure for Chemical Regulation and Control to address emerging issues.

    She added: “Risk assessment and Field Trials of fertiliser have been introduced for effective control and management of agrochemicals.”

    Mrs. Oni implored Nigerians to continue to support NAFDAC in the fight against the proliferation of substandard and falsified medical products, unwholesome food and other substandard or spurious regulated products.