The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NAFDAC

  • NAFDAC laments sale of fake drugs

    NAFDAC laments sale of fake drugs

    The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has expressed worry over the hawking of drugs, and sale of fake and narcotic drugs in Kebbi State.

    The state Director-General of the agency, Mr. Bitrus Fradel, while fielding questions from reporters in Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital, said the development was dangerous.

    Mr. Fradel, who said hawking of drugs was more prevalent in Jega Local Government Area, also revealed that their exposure to harsh weather is also not in the interest of users as such drugs could be ineffective and harmful to health.

    The Director-General who said that the agency was grappling with the sale of fake and narcotic drugs in the state advised members of the public to be careful about what they buy and consume.

    He said drugs like tramol which are sold in almost every chemist’s store and which are used by many youths in the state should be used only when prescribed by a physician.

    “Tramol is supposed to be a prescribed drug but you can see that the youth are fond of using it indiscriminately,” he said.

    Mr. Fradel added that the registered milligram of Tramol as a product is 50mg. He said it is surprising that 200mg of the drug is available at various chemists’ shops and is being sold to and used by people, especially the youth.

    He said: “We have established a NAFDAC office in Kamba which is a border community with the Niger Republic to avoid the importation of fake Tramol and other drugs into Kebbi State.

  • My Pikin teething syrup: NAFDAC to continue evidence April 17

    Federal High Court in Lagos will tomorrow continue hearing in the case against Barewa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, charged with the production of an alleged killer teething syrup, My Pikin.

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) took the company before Justice Okechukwu Okeke of a Federal High Court in Lagos.

    The case could not go on yesterday because of the absence of Justice Okechukwu Okeke, who was said to be away on an official assignment.

    The court adjourned hearing.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the company, with two of its employees, Ebele Eromosele and Adeyemo Abiodun, are facing a six-count charge on the alleged offence.

    The accused were re-arraigned on January 7, following the amendment of the charge before the court, in which the name of the company’s late Managing Director, Mr Kola Gbadegeshin, was struck out.

    They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge and were granted bail by the court.

    The prosecutor, Mr Aminu Alilu, had informed the court that the second accused, Eromosele, had been appointed by the defence to stand for the company, since the first accused was deceased.

    At the last hearing, the prosecutor called its second witness, a pharmacist, who testified that it ended ties with the defendant company when he learnt of the mishap allegedly caused by My Pikin. NAN recalls that My Pikin teething syrup was alleged to have killed over 80 children in the country.

    The prosecutor said the offences contravened Section 1 (a) of the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs, (Miscellaneous provisions) Act No. 25 of 1999.

     

  • `My Pikin’: NAFDAC continues evidence Wednesday

    `My Pikin’: NAFDAC continues evidence Wednesday

    A Federal High Court in Lagos will on Wednesday continue hearing in a case against Barewa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, charged with the production of an alleged killer teething syrup, “My Pikin.”

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) had arraigned the company before Justice Okechukwu Okeke of a Federal High Court in Lagos.

    On Monday, the case could not go on due to the absence of the trial judge, Justice Okeke, who was said to be away on an official assignment and the court adjourned hearing till the new date.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the company, along with two of its employees, Ebele Eromosele and Adeyemo Abiodun, are facing a six-count charge, bordering on the alleged offence.

    The accused were re-arraigned on January 7, due to the amendment of the charge before the court, in which the name of the company’s late managing director, Mr. Kola Gbadegeshin, was struck out.

    They had, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge and were granted bail by the court.

    The prosecutor, Mr. Aminu Alilu, had informed the court that the second accused, Eromosele, had been appointed by the defence, to stand in place of the company, since the first accused was deceased.

     

  • NAFDAC wins appeal against Fed High Court

    After three years of legal battle, the National Agency for Food, Drugs, Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has won its appeal against a ruling of March 4, 2011, at a Federal High Court in Kano.

    The court discharged a Kano-based Indian businessman, Dijay Lawani, of criminal charges brought against him by the agency.

    NAFDAC had filed an appeal, challenging the ruling of the Federal High Court in Kano, which dismissed the criminal charge of faking Rambo insecticide, a product of a Kano-based company, Gongoni Nigeria Limited.

    The Indian was arrested in Kano in November 2010 for the importation of 1,l500 cartons of fake Rambo insecticide, valued at N8 million. The alleged fake products were said to have been manufactured in China and imported into the country via Dubai.

    The accused was charged to the Federal High Court, Kano, in November 2010.

    After several months of legal fireworks, the Indian was discharged on technical grounds.

    Justice Shehu Yahaya averred that he would not proceed with the criminal charge for some technical reasons, which Gongoni Nigeria Limited preferred against the accused over the infringement of its trademark.

    The Federal High Court’s ruling in favour of the accused followed the argument of the defence counsel, Maxwell Duru, that the case against his client was not properly brought before the court.

    He prayed for the accused to be discharged on the grounds that there was a duplicity, as his client was facing both criminal and civil charges in the same court at the same time over the same case.

    But the counsel to NAFDAC insisted that all legal procedures were duly followed in arraigning the accused.

    The Appeal Court ruling by Justice Abdu Aboki, a copy of which was made available to The Nation in Kano yesterday, frowned at the lower court’s ruling.

    It said: “This appeal is hereby allowed.”

    The Appeal Court declared that the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court was ordered to re-assign the matter to another judge of the Federal High Court in the Kano Judicial Division for a trial de novo.

  • ‘FLP products are 100% NAFDAC compliant’

    ‘FLP products are 100% NAFDAC compliant’

    Forever Living Products have been certified good. The firm’s Managing Director in Nigeria and Benin, Mr Cornelius Tay told reporters in Lagos it was out to give the best to its customers.

    He said: “Since the inception of our company, we have offered Nigerians only the best in every product category we market and sell. Forever Living Products Nigeria have been able to supply Nigerians the many products that they have come to love because of the huge investment by our parent company in the United States of America (USA) in research and development, state of the art technology and stringent quality control.”

    “The products of Forever Living Products are certified not only in the USA and Nigerian regulatory agencies, but also scientific, religious and professional bodies. All of these attest to the exceptional quality of every product that is marketed and sold in Nigeria by our company.”

    On the clampdown on energy drinks in the market, Tay said his company appreciates the concerns raised about products generally classified as energy drinks and has no doubt that “we have a highly responsible regulatory system in place in Nigeria to control the importation, sale and consumption of all foods, drinks, supplements and health products in the Nigerian market”.

    He added that it is the belief of FLP that all marketers of goods or products have a responsibility to ensure that only the very best is offered to Nigerian consumers in return for their patronage, stressing that “Forever Active Boost (popularly called FAB) is a natural energy drink that has been approved for sale and consumption in Nigeria by NAFDAC. He said it as “a functional Energy Drink” that is non alcoholic”.

    He also said NAFDAC has confirmed that FAB does not contain caffeine as an added ingredient, clarifying further that the drink only contains guarana which is sourced naturally.

    The Vice President, Africa, Forever Living International Incorporated, USA, Mr Gary Shreeve attested to the high quality standard of FAB and other products of the company, noting that the company does not want to damage its reputation by producing inferior products.

    “We set high standard and comply with strict regulations and I must confess that NAFDAC is one of the strictest agencies in the world in terms of standard. They don’t compromise and that is the joy of our company working in Nigeria and with them because we believe in giving out the very best”.

    He added that products of the company are naturally sourced with aloe vera as the base hence side effect is greatly reduced. “Our products heal naturally. We believe the body is organic and can heal itself with the right supplements which our products are”.

    The company’s Director of Operations Africa, Mr Jackson Adagala, based in Nairobi, Kenya, stressed that the company will never compromise standard and counseled Africans to be weary of cheap products as “ the sweetness of cheap product is temporary but the bitterness lasts longer”.

    The company had earlier rewarded outstanding distributors during its March Business Opportunity Meeting with Mr John and Justina Ekperigin as double diamond managers’ award. Mr Ekperigin, a lecturer noted that he and his wife, a pharmacist, struggled with poverty as his meager salary couldn’t provide for the family but “Forever Living Products has helped us achieve all we dreamt of in our lives.”

  • NAFDAC arrests smuggler, counterfeiters

    NAFDAC arrests smuggler, counterfeiters

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), yesterday said it arrested Mr Tochukwu Eze, a smuggler, with four trailer-loads of suspected fake McDowell Reserved Whiskey.

    Its Director-General (DG), Dr Paul Orhii, said the trucks were arrested along the Lagos Badagry Expressway.

    Orhii, told reporters that the goods got borders.

    The DG said Mr Nne Ikenna of 5, Arochukwu Street, Ejigbo, Lagos, who was illegally manufacturing fake drugs, had been caught.

    Fake products such Zentel tablets, Lincocin capsules, postinor packs and aluminum foil were found his apartment, he added.

    He said: “The estimate of fake products recovered is N31,277,000.00. Also recovered were dry-ink coding machine used for blister packing and printing of labels and codes on the counterfeited medicines.”

    Orhii said Mrs Mary Awoyinka, a superintendent pharmacist with Uchest Pharmaceutical Limited, who had been operating her pharmacy with forged Pharmacists Council certificate was also arrested.

    “The agency also arrested Mr Maduabuchi Abuzu of 21, Ashogbon Stree, Idumota, Lagos. Some fake drugs were found in his house. They were estimated at N19,522,500.00,” he said

    Orhii said Mr Kingsley Okoro and Mr Fred Nwafor of 7, Afolabi Close, Ojo, Lagos, had confessed to illegal manufacturing of fake Red Lebal Whiskey and Carlo Rossi wine.

    “Five packets of Jonny Walker, five cartons of Carlo Rossi Wine and 46 Red Label Whiskey had been recovered from the house. One Ileazor Okoro was arrested in connection with the case and he is being interrogated,” he said.

    The DG said the agency intercepted three by 20 feet containers of food products imported through Apapa Port. “The containers, which contain Mama Stars De Tomato paste, are owned by a company by the name Divine Chris Link Communication,” he said.

    Orhii said investigation was ongoing on a company, VYN Trade Limited of 102, Faulks Road, Aba, Abia State, for importing fake Saccharin with forged NAFDAC stamp.

  • NAFDAC wants life jail for drug counterfeiters

    If the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC) has it’s way,  punishment for drug counterfeiters would be more more severe.
    The agency which is already reviewing the current law on counterfeiting is seeking life jail term and confiscation of assets of offenders.
    The  current law stipulates a fine of N500, 000.00 or 15 year jail term upon conviction of offenders involved in the sale, distribution, importation and advertisement of counterfeit regulated products.
    But NAFDAC  Director General, Paul Orhii noted that to make the law serve as a deterrent,  culprit should be made to serve a longer jail term including other punishment like forfeiture of assets among others.
    Orhii spoke on Thursday at a stakeholders meeting on quality monitoring of medicines in Nigeria, organized by NAFDAC, in collaboration with USAID and United States Pharmacopeia (USP) held in Abuja.
    WHO estimates that in wealthy economies, counterfeits account for less than 1% of the market value, but 50% of internet sales are counterfeits. While in emerging economies, counterfeits are estimated at 10% whilst, in some parts of the developing world counterfeits are put at about 30%.
    The Pharmaceutical Security Institute data estimates that drug
    counterfeiting is a $75billion business while the World Customs Service puts it at $200 billion business annually.
    He noted that as regulators, the agency is faced with numerous challenges – the major one being the counterfeiting of regulated products.
    He however said that as part of the efforts to  contain  the activities of the counterfeiters, the agency is thinking with reviewing the current law current law for a more severe one.
    In his remarks at the occasion, Vice President of the Global Health Impact Programs and Director of the USAID promoting the Quality of Medicines Program (PQM), Mr. Patrick Lukulay, said that the country is billed to benefit from a technical assistance Programme signed with Nigeria some months ago.
    The assistance will see the country getting support for local drug producers as it would focus on drug manufacturers.
    He also noted that it  would provide technical assistance on Good Manufacturing Practices ( GMP), facilitation of on-site assessment of facilities, and feed back on Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA).
    The Programme he added among other things would expedite World Health Organization (WHO) pre-qualification process by increasing company readiness at no cost to them.

  • NAFDAC impounds fake baby drinks, beverages in Aba

    NAFDAC impounds fake baby drinks, beverages in Aba

    The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has impounded fake baby food and other products worth N3 million in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia.

    The agency’s Chief Regulatory Officer, Aba Special Zone, Mr Gabriel Ezeaguba, who said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Aba, added that other items include beverages, wines and hot drinks.

    He said listed the items to include expired cartons of SMA children formula 6x 900 grams, fake Milo drinks in the new name “Mama mma anu tea’’ meaning, “Mother I will drink tea’’ produced with grounded cocoa cake.

    The others are some cartons of Ovaltine, Teco, sachets of Peak milk, Peak Choke, Vitalo drinks, Eva wines and `MacDowells’ preserved hot drinks.

    Ezeaguba said, “Mama mma anu tea’’ was being produced by a man inside a plantain plantation at Uratta area along Port Harcourt Road, Aba, with installed machine and generator which had yet to be retrieved from the site.

    He said that materials confiscated as exhibit included frying pans, bags and some other items.

    He said that the SMA which expired in 2012 but changed to 2015 and other unwholesome products were being faked at Zone 9 of Cemetery Market and adjoining markets.

    The chief regulatory officer said that NAFDAC had also sealed six stores in the markets, while the seized goods had been moved to its warehouse for safety and destruction.

    “We have been working in silence but this particular one is so alarming that we want the consumers to be on the know.

    “We have been on the raid of Cemetery market and some other adjoining markets for the past three to four weeks.

    “About six stores were placed on hold, though we have evacuated the products, most of them are in our warehouse and investigation continues.’’

    Ezeaguba urged market leadership to assist the agency on the war against fake drugs, pointing out that consumption of such products could damage the liver and kidney of the consumers.

  • ‘Govt should invest in herbal centres’

    ‘Govt should invest in herbal centres’

    The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has said that some of the drugs it approved for consumption are good herbal remedies.

    Southeast zonal coordinator of the agency, Charles Nwachukwu said this when he received an award of excellence from Anambra State chapter of National Association of Nigeria Traditional Medicine Practitioners (NAMTMP) on behalf of NAFDAC.

    He said that most of the drugs from China and India are not better than those produced in Nigeria, even as he added that most of the drugs produced in those countries are all herbal-based.

    However, Nwachukwu said that those who are into herbal medicine practice in Nigeria needed to package their products well like those from China and India, adding: “if we do all these, Nigeria has what it takes to take over from those countries in production of herbal medicine.”

    Nwachukwu further said that herbal medicines are so potent so much so that they had helped in curing most diseases. He also said that Nigeria, being a country in the tropical region, boasts good herbal plants.

    The state coordinator of NAMTMP and chief executive, JMI Home Ventures Limited, Ambassador John Mary Ibeka, called on governments at all levels to invest in herbal centres where researches on herbs and their uses could be carried out.

    Such centres, according to Ibeka, would form training grounds for young pharmacists before their licences would be granted.

    The centres would also be homes for pupils in search of knowledge and understanding in pharmaceutical sciences.

    “Government should also avail our herbalists the opportunities to study the herbal remedies of our forefathers. They should sponsor workshops and seminars on herbal medicine and research into natural resources as vital sources of Phyto-medicine,” Ibeka said.

    The President-General of Agulu Improvement Union (AIU) Chief Paulinus Aniagbaso was also presented with an award by the group as “champion of development” in the state.

  • Nigeria, Cameroon sign fact on fake drugs

    Nigeria, Cameroon sign fact on fake drugs

    In a move to check the movement and circulation of fake and substandard drugs in the country, Nigeria Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cameroon.

    The MoU is expected to curb movement of fake drugs within the two countries.

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Cameroon Standard and Quality Agency signed for their respective countries in Abuja.

    In his remark, the Director- General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, said the counterfeiting of products has been a major problem.

    He admitted that the agency has been having hectic time dealing with counterfeiters because of the sophistication in printing technology and the globalization of the counterfeiting business.

    He said that Nigeria is at the forefront of efforts to ensure that activities of the counterfeiters are brought under check.

    He, however, stressed that this is only achievable with the cooperation of other countries.

    Orhii said, “Counterfeiting of products has been a major problem. The counterfeiters have devised ways because of the sophistication in printing technology and the globalization of the counterfeiting business had become very highly complicated to deal with and one country alone cannot deal with this problem.

    “That is why Nigeria is at the forefront of making sure that we come together to form international coalition to fight the menace of counterfeiting. If we come together as a region, we can form a block that can stop fake drugs from coming to our countries.”

    He also commended the Cameroonian delegation for the initiative.

    He said: “I thank you for extending this hand of partnership that you said you want us to do for the benefit of our countries. Yours is a relatively younger agency, ours had been there but we are still learning. We share borders and a lot of product go from Nigeria to Cameroon and back from Cameroon to Nigeria. Therefore, it makes sense that we have to move together to make sure that these products that go across our borders are safe.”

    The Head of Cameroonian delegation who is also the Director General of Cameroon Standard and Quality Agency, Dr. Charls Booto n’Ngon, said: “The MoU is to enhance cooperation between our country and Nigeria and to reinforce the application of standard and the respect of specification for all products which come to Nigeria from Cameroon and those that come to Cameroon from Nigeria . That is the main objective of our being here.

    “Since Nigeria and Cameroon have been into cooperation for a long time, we want to reinforce the protection of our people. We have come to Abuja to sign a memorandum of understanding with NAFDAC for the benefit of our people. We will also make arrangements with our high commissioner for Dr .Orhii to come to Cameroon so that we can finalise everything to enhance this cooperation.”