Flowerbudnews
By Biola Lawal
Abuja: (Flowerbudnews): The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has commenced a synchronised nationwide operation to combat the menace of drug hawking .
Prof . Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC Director General disclosed the commencement of the enforcement operation while giving the keynote address at the flag-off of NÀFDAC Media Sensitisation Workshop on Tuesday in Abuja.
The workshop was on the theme: Dangers of drug hawking and Ripening of Fruits with calcium carbide
Prof Adeyeye warned that any Drug Hawker arrested by NAFDAC in the course of the enforcement operations would be prosecuted and faced a jail term.
‘:Our Enforcement Officers are currently carrying out synchronized nation-wide operation,” She stated, noting that drug hawkers deserved tough measures because they were agents of death.
The NAFDAC Boss said that ”the menace of drug hawking poses serious challenge to Healthcare Delivery System in the country and this underscored NAFDAC’s resolute determination to totally eradicate the illicit trade.
‘:Many Drug Hawkers are knowingly or unknowingly merchants of Death who expose essential and Life Saving Medicines to the vagaries of inclement weather which degrade the active ingredients of the medicine and turn them to poisons thus endangering human lives” She stated.
Prof Adeyeye disclosed that ‘:Most of the drugs sold by the illiterate and semi-literate Drug Hawkers are counterfeit, substandard or expired, and therefore do not meet the quality, safety and efficacy requirement of regulated medicines.
‘:Prescription drugs are also sold by the itinerant Drug Hawkers who also hold consultation, recommend and prescribe medicines to their gullible “patients”.
”Drug Hawkers are also the major Distributors and Suppliers of narcotic medicines to criminal networks such as Armed Bandits, Insurgents, Kidnappers and Armed Robbers. Drug Hawkers constitute serious threat to our national security.”,
The NAFDAC Boss said that ‘:drugs are sensitive life-saving commodities which should not be sold on the streets/motor parks or open markets just like any other article of trade.”
”I wish to warn that any Drug Hawker arrested by NAFDAC will be prosecuted, will face a jail term, and our Enforcement Officers are currently carrying out synchronized nation-wide operation.,” She said.
Prof Adeyeye assured that ”no offender will be spared from facing the full wrath of the Law. In this regard, we solicit the co-operation and support of all other Law Enforcement Agencies, Nigerian Journalists and well-meaning Nigerians in riding the country of this harmful and shameful practice’:
The NAFDAC Boss disclosed that ”there have been clarion calls by well-meaning Nigerians on the need to take stringent regulatory actions to stem the dangerous tide of Drug Hawking and Ripening of Fruits with Calcium Carbide.”
”In addition, several national dailies and non-governmental organizations have raised concerns on the looming danger and health implication of these two nefarious activities by certain unpatriotic and unscrupulous citizens in our country,” She said.
Prof Adeyeye said: ”Since 2019, we immediately took some decisive steps such as sensitization of the public through different media outlets, enforcement through intelligence and raids in fruit markets that have resulted in seizures and destruction of violative products.”
She said further: ”The flag – off for this sensitization workshop today is again a fulfilment of my promise to sustain and strengthen NAFDAC’s existing collaboration with Association of Health Journalists in Nigeria towards mobilising, educating, sensitizing, and conscientizing Nigerian Journalists to play frontline role in our concerted efforts to eradicate the menace of Drug Hawking and Ripening of Fruits with Calcium Carbide in Nigeria.”
‘:It is my candid opinion that sensitization workshop of this nature is a training the Trainers’ programme with the great expectation that participants will assume the role of champions in the vanguard of the campaign against drug hawking and the use of calcium carbide to ripen fruits,’: She emphasised.
Prof Adeyeye recalled that NAFDAC recently organised similar sensitization workshops in eight cities across the country to raise awareness on the dangers of using bleaching creams.
‘:This was in line with my resolve to intensify and widen the scope of our publicity and public awareness campaigns as part of the transformative programmes of my second tenure of office,” She stated.
The NAFDAC Boss assured that the Agency would constantly engage the mass media as it strove to bring down to the grassroot level positive impacts of its regulatory activities.
Prof Adeyeye also declared that NAFDAC had noticed the dangerous practice of sale and consumption of fruits artificially ripened with calcium carbide as well as illegal hawking of drugs in the open market.
”It is gratifying to announce that apart from sensitization campaigns and Enforcement activities, NAFDAC has commissioned a scientific study on the best approach towards mitigating the health hazards posed by ripening of fruits with carbides, She said.
She disclosed that she had ‘:mandated some of my directors and support staff to take these campaigns to the nooks and crannies of this country. We are confident of winning the war against these two hydra-headed public health menaces.
‘:It is, therefore, a great pleasure for me to declare open this Media Sensitization Workshop while urging you to assist NAFDAC in publicizing and disseminating knowledge acquired to the general public.
” i thank you for your collaboration and support for NAFDAC to rid the country of the menace of substandard and falsified medicines, unwholesome foods, corrosive cosmetics, and other substandard regulated products.
God bless you” she ended (Flowerbudnews))
