Author: Lawal AbdulSalam Olawale

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Wednesday destroyed fake and expired goods worth over N500 million in Abuja.

 

Speaking during the exercise, the Director-General of the agency, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, stated that some of the goods were also voluntary submitted to the agency.

Represented by Mr Francis Ononiwu, NAFDAC Director of Investigation and Enforcement, the D-G stated that the exercise is carried out routinely all over the country.

The NAFDAC boss said that the destruction of the products were done to prevent their re-introduction to the supply chain.

Adeyeye listed some of the products destroyed as drugs made up of psychoactive and controlled substance like antibiotics, antihypertensive, antimalarials, herbal snuff and herbal remedies, and drugs confiscated from drug hawkers.

She also listed the food products such as Spaghetti, vegetable oil, non-alcoholic beverages, including 1 by 40ft container of unregistered Faurecia instant powered milk that was handed over to the agency by the Nigeria Customs Services (NCS).

Others were cosmetics such as creams, lotion, pomade, including skin lightening creams seized from SPAS and beauty centres, chemicals such as fake insecticides and medical devices.

Also destroyed were expired and unwholesome products voluntarily handed over for destruction by complaint companies, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Association of Community Pharmacy of Nigeria (ACPN).

According to the NAFDAC boss, the estimated street value of the products being destroyed is N535, 000, 657.00.

“I have said it on several platforms that drug counterfeiting is an act of economic sabotage, and it also represents a serious threat to public health, and NAFDAC under my watch has been repositioned to fight this menace.

” The agency has adapted proactive approach by engaging political, traditional, faith leaders, journalists and other Nigerians to sensitise their wards on the dangers of dealing on substandard and falsified medicine.

“I wish to use this medium to urge all and sundry to be on the look-out for spurious and counterfeit medicines, unwholesome foods and other regulated products and reports same to NAFDAC,” she said.

 

Mr Isiaku Gamajira, FCT Coordinator, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), stated that NAFDAC is a sister agency when it comes to regulation of products, hence the reason why SON was at the event.

He noted that many people lack education on how to get certification for their products, stressing that it is the reason why most goods from Nigeria are rejected abroad.

“We are aware of government policy on zero rejection of Nigeria products, we have a policy called product certification in which a certificate is issued on products made in Nigeria that are to be exported.

“In doing all these, we ensure that we key in to the principle set up in line with the government of the exporting country, and issue a certificate of performance to avoid Nigeria product rejection when they get to the point of entry.

“We have offices all over the country where information about product certification can be gotten, our addresses are also available online for you to reach out to us.

“We provide people with proper guidance when they approach us, SON has been carrying out its compliance activities among which is the seizure of substandard products. We have just destroyed tyres

“Tyre is a product which lives depend on and SON has a serious interest when it comes to compliance action, seizure in that regards, on Sep. 29, SON destroyed a lot of tyres and these are some of the things we do.

“Most of these tyres are imported, it is our own common wealth, If you see the quantum of what we have destroyed in the last few months, you will be surprised,” Gamajira said.

Mr Enejoh Amade, Chairman, Association of Community Pharmacist of Nigeria (ACPN), FCT Chapter, said his association would continue to support NAFDAC to rid the country of substandard drugs.

He said that his association had partnered with NAFDAC on the exercise by bringing some expired drugs collected from members of ACPN

 

NAN/ FLOWERBUDNEWS

The National Union of Road Transport Workers has passed votes of no confidence on a former president of the union, Tajudeen Baruwa,

 

The National Chairman, NURTW Caretaker Committee, Tajudeen Agbede, said this while speaking at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja.

 

It would be recalled that Baruwa’s tenure as the union’s president expired on August 28.

 

According to Agbede, “We, the undersigned, having the mandate of our members in the various states and zones unanimously passed a vote of no confidence on Alh. Tajudeen Baruwa.”

The caretaker committee chairman alleged that Baruwa had committed many atrocities while he served as the union’s president from August 2019 to August 2023.

 

He alleged that Baruwa had reduced membership of the union in the International Transport Federation from 400,000 members to a paltry 160,000 members.

 

Agbede also noted that the former president failed or neglected to pay affiliation dues when appropriate, thus causing the union to be deregistered from ITF.

In a letter referenced NLC/NS/A.16 dated 27th August 2019, the NLC wrote to NURTW commending the union for showing a good example to other affiliate unions of the NLC.

 

“That is by continuing to be financially up to date” and for “being financially up to date as of the end of July 2019,” he said.

 

He, however, noted that sundry letters received from the Nigeria Labour Congress during Baruwa’s administration were various demands for payment of affiliation dues.

He added that the dues at one point, were owed for as long as 18 months, from April – December 2021 and January — September 2022.

 

Agbede said that Baruwa failed or neglected to account for Independence National Electoral Commission money paid during his administration for the 2023 general election.

 

He also noted that during the four-year administration of the former president of the union, the National Executive Council only held four times.

 

He said that this was against the constitutional provisions of Article 10 (2) of the union’s constitution.

 

Agbede also said Baruwa had arbitrarily mandated the posting of union staff without concomitant relocation allowances or transfer claims, among others.

 

He added that this caused unnecessary hardship and adversity to staff.

 

“He failed to abide by constitutional provisions in respect to succession, by refusing and/or neglecting to conduct credible zonal delegates elections for the continuity of the union.

 

“Thus putting the union into unnecessary drama before right-thinking members of the public,” he added.

 

NAN reports that Baruwa was elected president for a second four-year term on August 25 in a unanimous decision.

 

NAN

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, approved the staggered takeoff of six out of 14 public universities established in the twilight of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

 

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, who revealed this to State House Correspondents, said the choice of the universities — two colleges of agriculture, education and medicine each—was strategic to the skills-empowerment goals of the Tinubu-led administration.

 

The Buhari administration approved the establishment of no fewer than 75 universities, encompassing federal, state and private institutions within seven years.

 

However, Mamman said the Federal Government lacked the funds and qualified staffing to kick start all institutions at once as they are capital intensive.

He added that the Tinubu administration will be “conservative” in doling out approvals for the establishment of new universities.

 

“And then there are quite a number of universities and institutions which were approved in the last days of the last administration, which because of issues of funding, and even staff it may not be prudent to get these institutions to take off altogether at once.

 

“So Mr. President has directed we stagger their commencement, their takeoff so that the government can properly support them,” the Former Baze University Vice Chancellor said, after he briefed Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa.

The Lagos State Police Command says it has identified the person in a viral video shown shooting an AK47 rifle at the Ladipo Market as Inspector Istifanus Kwanchi, serving in a Lagos squadron of the Mobile Police (MOPOL).

Inspector Kwanchi was seen in viral videos celebrating the reopening of the popular Ladipo Market in Lagos State with AK-47 shots to which the Force Spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, ordered an immediate probe.

 

The spokesperson of the Lagos Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, on Wednesday. confirmed the inspector’s arrest in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

 

The police officer in this video, Inspector Istifanus Kwanchi, serving with the Mobile Police (MOPOL), has been brought in for appropriate disciplinary actions. @LagosPoliceNG condemns in its entirety all forms of unprofessional and unethical behaviour on the part of its… pic.twitter.com/IiXrXoaNVN

 

— SP Benjamin Hundeyin (@BenHundeyin) October 18, 2023

He said that the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Idowu Owohunwa, has ordered the immediate commencement of disciplinary proceedings against the officer for his unprofessional, unethical and dangerous behaviour.

The police assured members of the public that the Command will not tolerate any form of deviant behaviour from its officers and men, while those found culpable will be dealt with by laid down rules.

The police had on Tuesday vowed to probe the viral video, with the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, saying “We will identify the man with AK47 and do the needful. Thanks.”

Says no plans to muffle Nigerians on social media

 

The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, on Wednesday, said the Federal Government is on the verge of deploying officers of the National Orientation Agency across 774 local government areas nationwide.

 

Idris, who lamented that most of the information outposts in the country are unmanned, said the move is necessary to restore consciousness of nationhood, which, he said, is waning.

 

“The national orientation agency has offices in the 774 LGAs…not all the people that will man these local government offices are there, but we are rebuilding that. We are going to put officers of the NOA around all the 774 LGAs,” Idris told State House Correspondents shortly after he briefed President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

Idris observed that “the belief in the concept of nationhood and patriotism has broken down in this country. We’re trying to rebuild that, to reconstruct that.”

 

“Mr. President has given me a marching order to see that Nigerians believe in this country once again. We’re coming up with a national discourse on orientation or reorientation. So that Nigerians can believe in their country.

 

“People don’t even believe in leaders that they themselves have elected. Flags are not flying anymore. You go to government offices, you don’t even see the symbol of our collective existence, flying even in public buildings.

We’re bringing back this concept of discipline that Nigerians should have. Patriotism. Belief in the nationhood that our founding fathers have given us. National orientation is going to be at the center of it,” the minister explained.

 

He said the FG will not deny Nigerians their freedom of expression despite the proliferation of fake news on social media.

 

However, the FG is “looking at suggestions by the Nigerian Press Council to set up a registration scheme for journalists but is wary of concerns about “gagging the media,” Idris noted.

 

While lamenting the use of unpatriotic language by Nigerians online, he argued that freedom of speech comes with great responsibility.

 

“That is a very delicate line to toe. While the government, Mr. President and all of us in that sector are committed to ensuring press freedom. That freedom comes with responsibility…there is no attempt by the government to gag the press,” Idris told journalists.

 

Addressing the plans by the Nigerian Press Council to register journalists as a way to sanitize the profession, the Minister said, “Well, that is being looked at; you know that Mr. President believes in press freedom. He believes in the freedom of expression, and he’s not going to gag the press in any way, shape or form.

 

“He’s going to work assiduously to ensure that the Nigerian press that has been free is even freer. But this freedom also comes with enormous responsibility.

You can’t just say what is not right because you’re enjoying press freedom. There will be freedom, responsible freedom.”

 

On welfare for members of the Nigerian press in Nigeria, Idris said, “It is in the works. I have discussed that with Mr. President. He wants to see me come up with a roadmap for that.

 

“We are going to work on that and you will get definite answers in due course. I want this to be underscored: There is no attempt by the government to gag the press. We’re going to do whatever it takes that is responsible and accountable. Responsible journalism is the way to go.”

 

Idris assumed office on August 21, 2023. A day earlier, he concluded his maiden visit to the Nigerian Press Council where he said Nigerian journalists will “breathe and flourish” under the new administration.

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Musa Adamu Aliyu as the new Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

 

The Special Adviser to the President, Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale confirmed the appointment in a statement on Tuesday.

The President also approved Clifford Okwudiri Oparaodu as the Secretary to the Commission.

The statement reads, “The new Chairman of the ICPC is nominated for confirmation by the Nigerian

 

Senate, following the President’s approval of the outgoing Chairman’s request to proceed on pre-end of tenure leave beginning on November 4, 2023, ahead of the expiration of his tenure on February 3, 2024.

 

“The position of Secretary to the Commission does not require Senate confirmation and, therefore, by the directive of the President, the appointment of Mr. Clifford Okwudiri Oparaodu as Secretary of the Commission takes immediate effect.

 

“Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu has embarked upon many far-reaching reforms as the Attorney General of Jigawa State since September 2019 and holds Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate degrees in Law. He was also named as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria-designate in October 2023.

 

“Mr. Clifford Okwudiri Oparaodu is a lawyer with over 30 years of experience and has served meritoriously in the public service as a Member of the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission and Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of Port Harcourt City Local Government Council.

 

“The President implores the new management team of the ICPC to always be above board as they discharge their duties without fear or favour concerning all matters before them