Barely three months after the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) destroyed expired, adulterated and substandard items seized from Enugu, Ebon Paul Orhii and his team were in Awka the Anambra state capital for a similar assignment.
This time unwholesome, fake and expired items estimated at almost N500 million were seized from manufacturers, importers, traders and destroyed.
He also noted that a larger percentage of the fake and expired drugs were willingly and voluntarily handed over by the traders.
The NAFDAC boss and his team who were accompanied by security officials , while commending the traders for opting to hand over expired and substandard products in their possession, disclosed that their visit was to destroy the items and thus ensure they did not find their way back into the markets.
He disclosed that the agency has also successfully arraigned a Chinese national in an Awka Federal High Court for the illegal importation of a large quantity of diapers and that six containers of assorted drugs especially Viagra were intercepted by the agency’s operatives and were at present at the Oshodi, Lagos office awaiting destruction.
He noted that financial challenges had hampered the acquisition of drug-testing machines and incinerators but was quick to point out that NAFDAC was currently working it out with the Federal Government.
The President of the Onitsha Patent Medicine Dealers Association, Mr Uche Eze described the efforts of the agency in ridding the nation of fake and unwholesome producers as tremendous.
