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The National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control, on Friday, destroyed counterfeit, substandard and fake pharmaceutical and other products worth over one trillion naira at the Anambra State Waste Management Authority Dump Site, Agu Awka, Anambra State.
The Director General of the agency, Mojisola Adeyeye, who performed the exercise at the dump site located in the Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra, said the affected products include, Analgin, controlled substances such as Tramadol 225mg, amongst others.
Adeyeye, who was represented by the NAFDAC’s South-East Zonal Director, Dr Martins Iluyomade, said the fake, substandard, unregistered, and expired drugs were confiscated from Onitsha Bridge Head Drug Market (Ogbu- Ogu) and Ekumi/ Tenant Road drug market in Aba.
Addressing journalists shortly before the destruction of the items, the NAFDAC boss reiterated the commitment of NAFDAC to ensuring that food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals, packaged water and drinks are safe, wholesome and effective for human consumption.
She said, “Today, we are destroying the fake, counterfeit and illicit drugs that were seized during our one month enforcement exercise. The products that were classified as illicit, expired, and banned were confiscated during a raid on Onitsha Bridge Head Drug Market (Ogbu- Ogu) and Ekumi/ Tenant Road drug market in Aba.
“The recent discovery of counterfeit and other products in these major markets in the country is mind-boggling. The discoveries made of the presence of unregistered products, banned products such as Analgin, and Controlled substances such as Tramadol 225mg amongst others, are part of the things making our country unsafe in terms of security.
She noted that the agency intends to put an end to substandard drugs.
She said, “We, as an agency have come to realise that the time has come to put an end to the circulation of substandard medicines in Nigeria. Different calls, different cries have been made and we have listened to those cries and rejig our ways and assured Nigerians that they can go to bed that whatever medicines that are now in the system are safe and fit for consumption.
“The enforcement exercise took us about a month from February 10 to March 5 and we want to say it is a continuous exercise. The current management of NAFDAC has an unrenewable commitment to ensure that these fake drugs are stamped out. It is a bit complex even though we have said that medicines have been certified but still people get them in.
“Bulk volumes of narcotics and other medicines that are not approved because of their effect were confiscated. The volume that we found during this exercise is more than enough to destabilise a country, by research, there is a correlation between them and insecurity.
“The volume is huge and humongous and it is one of the highest in the world. From Onitsha and Aba, the total volume of trucks of fake drugs that have been moved out of these markets are over a 100 40ft containers. And it is over a trillion naira, the estimated value of products that are being destroyed today. Millions of people have been saved by this action alone.
“We assure all Nigerians that the medicines that are now available in the market are authentic and efficacious and we urge Nigerians that when they see something, they should say something.”
The NAFDAC boss, however, commended the media for its role in propagating the fight against fake drugs in the country, calling for every individual to lend their voice against fake drugs.
The Managing Director of Anambra State Waste Management Authority, Mike Ozoemanam, who represented the governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, commended NAFDAC for sanitising the market of fake and illicit drugs.
He said, “The governor visited the market during the enforcement exercise. He did not come there to play politics, but to support the agency. The governor took the bull by the horns because we saw the correlation between the fake drugs and the effect on our youths and you can see that the state is now quiet.
“Anambra people are good people and peace-loving people and we urge NAFDAC not to relent in their fight against fake and illicit drugs Whether banned or contaminated, we do not want it in Anambra State.”
