By Ajuma Edwina Ogiri
Abuja
Acting Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mrs. Yetunde Oni, has disclosed that the agency was pushing for life sentence for drug counterfeiters at the National Assembly.
Mrs. Oni, who was represented by the Director of Special Duties, Alhaji Abubakar Jimoh, revealed this during a massive destruction exercise of expired, fake and substandard foods, drugs and drinks worth over N105 million from Benue and Nasarawa states.
She also disclosed that the agency had, in the last three years, destroyed fake, counterfeit and sub-standard drugs and other regulated products worth N30 billion.
Blueprint reports that the destruction exercise took place in Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital, at the weekend.
Oni said NAFDAC had zero tolerance for fake and sub-standard products, adding that the agency was working hard to ensure that fake drugs “become a thing of the past in Nigeria.”
She said: “For us in NAFDAC, zero tolerance is what we are aiming for. A lot of damage has been done by counterfeit drugs. A drug counterfeiter is worst than an armed robber. That is why we are pushing for a life sentence for drug counterfeiters at the National Assembly.
“We are optimistic that in the near future, we would have nothing or little to destroy as we work towards ensuring availability of good quality, efficacious, safe and affordable medicines and wholesome regulated products to the Nigerian populace.”
Speaking earlier, the Nasarawa state Coordinator of NAFDAC, Mr. Michael Attah, explained that the joint destruction exercise was a testimony that NAFDAC is working and leaving no stone unturned in ridding the Nigerian society of spurious, fake and counterfeit product.
“This exercise today is a message and a signal to all and sundry who are manufacturing and importing any NAFDAC regulated products that are substandard, fake or counterfeit to desist from such activities or face the wrath of the law,” he said.
He appealed to well-meaning Nigerians to report any suspected activities of illegal manufacturers and dealers of unregistered products to any NAFDAC office or the nearest law enforcement agencies for immediate action, stressing that “NAFDAC is committed to safeguarding the health of all Nigerians.”