By Biola Lawal
Oshogbo (Flowerbudnews). The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Osun have warned the public against peddling fake and unregistered medical products etc in the state.
NAFDAC State Coordinator, Dr. Isaac Kolawole, (who was represented by Mal Kola Abdulqadr, an Assistant Chief Regulatory Officer), gave the warning while speaking in an exclusive interview with Flowerbudnews on the efforts and achievements of NAFDAC in Osun State.
Dr. Kolawole said that the Agency had
intensified enforcement operations against peddlers of fake, unregistered medicines and unwholesome regulated products in line with the directives of the NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye.
(NAFDAC’s new ultra-modern state office complex in Osogbo, – NAFDAC workers say, with it – ”working in the office had become conducive and enjoyable”
He disclosed that the Agency arrested on person hawking unregistered herbal products in Osogbo in the course of an operation conducted on Monday with security backup by men of the Nigeria Police force.
Dr. Kolawole said that an herbal product being peddled by the hawker was found to be unregistered with NAFDAC, adding that the Agency had discovered that its producer ”is residing in Ondo while production is in Oyo state…
(NAFDAC, Official, Mal. Kola Abdulqadr who stood in for Dr. Kolawole, answering questions from the Flowerbudnews team in Oshogbo)
The State Co-ordinator told Flowerbudnews that the Zonal Director in Ibadan had been briefed on the details of the unregistered product for more investigation in Oyo state.
Dr. Kolawole said that the conduct of drugs hawker was inimical to public health, noting that ”by exposing the products to sun and other weather conditions, the hawkers made the products to become more dangerous to the health of members of the public,”
” Their actions reduce the potency of the products, the products are often with labelling lapses,” Dr. Kolawole said, and, citing the arrested hawker as example, he disclosed the confiscated product had no batch number, full of labelling lapses.
The State Coordinator expressed appreciation to the residents of Osun state for their cooperation with NAFDAC through information supply support and non-interference during enforcement operations.
(NAFDAC DG, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye)
Dr. Kolawole particularly commended the Nigeria Police in Osun for its constant support for the operations of NAFDAC in the state.
Citing Monday’s enforcement operation, Dr. Kolawole said that NAFDAC officials just went to the police at short notice and they were obliged with adequate security cover.
He disclosed that the Police state Command had, infact, attached a police officer to the NAFDAC State office as a gesture of increased goodwill and cooperation between the two organisations.
Dr. Kolawole however, acknowledged NAFDAC DG, Prod. Mojisola Adeyeye for strengthening collaboration with the Inspector-General of Police and Force Headquarters in Abuja, saying; ”the fallout is what we are enjoying here”.
(NAFDAC DG, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye with the Inspector -General of Police, IGP Egbetokun during her recent operational visit to the Force Headquarters) Flowerbudnews
About Flowerbudnews
Established by Hon. Biola Lawal, a former Acting Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Flowerbudnews is a consortium of active journalists, media veterans and image makers in both public and private sectors of Nigeria’s media Industry determined to enhance the practice of responsible journalism.
Lawal, on his part, is also a former Honourable Commissioner for Information,Youth, Sports and Culture of Osun state, his home state.
Biola Lawal had also successfully served two tenures as Press Secretary to the ECOMOG Force Commander in Liberia during the Liberian and Sierra Leone Civil wars.
Lawal holds the honour of being the only journalist that served two terms on the ECOMOG international assignment due to his high professionalism and decency)
