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Showing posts with label NAFDAC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NAFDAC. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

NAFDAC returns to Ports, borders for effective regulation - DG


NaijaAgroNet

The Director General of the National Agency for Food andDrug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Christianah Mojisola Adeyeye, has assured Nigerians that the return of the agency to the nation’s ports and borders will enhance the regulation of importation of narcotic drugs and hazardous chemical substances, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This, she also said, would boost up the regulation of hazardous substances identified to be grossly abused and consequently, posing public health and security threats to the country.

A communique issued at the end of the National Chemical Security Training Conference in Abuja and held under the auspices of the Officeof the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and made available to NaijaAgroNet, with the theme “Towards a Secured Importation, Distribution, Storage and Use of Chemicals in Nigeria.”

NAFDAC DG noted that the return to ports and borders will once again, restore NAFDAC’s key responsibility of monitoring imports of controlled drugs and chemical substances which come in various forms, thus requiring expertise to monitor their industry-wide application and use.

The agency commended ONSA, the Chemical Society of Nigeria and other key stakeholders for recognizing NAFDAC as a key player in the national security architecture by this singular act of restoring the presence of NAFDAC officials at all designated Ports of entry and land borders.
She recalled that the laws establishing NAFDAC empowered the agency to statutorily operate at the ports. 

“The clearance of regulated products outside of the current legal framework poses immediate and life threatening risks to the public as unregistered, spurious and falsified products exit the ports without recourse to the agency’s approval for such products to be in the market,” she said.

Prof. Adeyeye further assured members of the public that NAFDAC will continue to contribute its quota to government’s efforts in securing lives and property by ensuring that only quality, safe, efficacious and wholesome regulated products and are consumed by Nigerians and smuggling of chemical weapons, harmful drugs and substances into the country is checked.
 
Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Poisonous Fanta, Sprite: Court berates NAFDAC, Nigerian Bottling Company, awards N2m damages to Fijabi

A Lagos High Court sitting at Igbosere suburb area of Lagos State, has berated and ordered the National Agency For Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to compel the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Plc to ensure a written warning on Fanta and Sprite bottles indicating that both soft drinks are poisonous when taken with Ascorbic Acid, also popularly known as Vitamin C in Nigeria, reports NaijaAgroNet.

A copy of the judgement making a round and available to NaijaAgroNet, the court held that NAFDAC failed Nigerians by declaring, as fit for human consumption, products discovered by tests in the United Kingdom as turning poisonous when mixed with ascorbic acid.

Delivering the landmark judgement in Lagos, Justice Adedayo Oyebanji, awarded a cost of N2 million only against NAFDAC, as outcome of a suit filed by a Lagos-based businessman, Dr. Emmanuel Fijabi Adebo, and his company, Fijabi Adebo Holdings Limited, against NBC Plc and NAFDAC.                      

 Adebo had urged the court to declare that NBC was negligent to its consumers by bottling Fanta and Sprite with excessive levels of benzoic acid and sunset additives, in addition to ordering NAFDAC to carry out routine laboratory tests on all the soft drinks and related products NBC bottles to ensure their safety for consumption.

In the amended statement of claims filed before the court by Mr. Abiodun Onidare on behalf of Mr. Adebo and his company,  it was alleged that in March 2007, Fijabi Adebo Holdings Company bought large quantities of Coca-Cola, Fanta Orange, Sprite, Fanta Lemon, Fanta Pineapple and soda water from NBC for export to and subsequent retail in the United Kingdom.

But when the consignment arrived in the United Kingdom, health authorities in that country, precisely the Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council's Trading Standard, Department of Environment and Economy Directorate, raised fundamental health issues on the contents and composition of Fanta and Sprite.

Findings by the United Kingdom health authorities were also corroborated by other agencies in European Union countries, which found the products to contain excessive levels of sunset yellow and benzoic acid, which are known to be carcinogenic.

On account of the irregularities and carcinogenic substances present in the drinks, Mr. Adebo and his company could not sell the Fanta and Sprite. This caused huge losses for the company, as the products were seized and destroyed by the United Kingdom health authorities.

The claimants equally alleged that NAFDAC did not carry out requisite tests to determine the safety of the drinks for human consumption. They averred that being registered as exporters with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, they could legally export NBC products to any part of the world and that the bottling company was aware that the products purchased were meant for export.

In addition to other reliefs, Mr. Adebo and his company sought the sum of N15,119,619.37 as special damages and N1,622,000 being the money NBC admitted receiving from the claimants.

In its amended statement of defense, filed before the court by Mr. T. O. Busari, NBC admitted supplying the products, but contended that they are meant for local distribution and consumption, as it does not produce for export. It argued that Coca-Cola is manufactured and bottled by various Coca-Cola franchise holders in most countries of the world, including the United Kingdom.

The company denied that it was negligent, as it has stringent quality control procedures to ensure that its products are safe for end-user consumption.

NBC also rejected the allegation that the damages claimed by the businessman and his firm were caused by negligence or any fault on its part.  It argued that the levels of the chemical components in its soft drinks are safe for consumption in Nigeria and that the claimants are not entitled to the recovery of damages arising from their illegal exportation of products meant for local distribution.

NBC further contended that the claims made by Mr. Adebo and his company were speculative, frivolous and vexatious and should be dismissed with substantial cost. NAFDAC did not file any defense.

To prove his case, Mr. Adebo personally testified. While being led in evidence by Mr. Onidare, he tendered 12 exhibits. NBC's Sales Operation Manager, Mr. Micheal Nwosu China, and its Head of Central Laboratory, Mr. Abiodun Adeola Falana, both testified on the bottling company's behalf and also tendered 12 exhibits.

In her judgment, Justice Oyebanji said: “It is imperative to state that the knowledge of the Nigeria Bottling Company that the products were to be exported is immaterial to its being fit for human consumption. The court is in absolute agreement with the learned counsel for the claimants that soft drinks manufactured by Nigeria bottling company ought to be fit for human consumption irrespective of color or creed. 

“It is manifest that NAFDAC has been grossly irresponsible in its regulatory duties to the consumers of Fanta and Sprite manufactured by Nigeria Bottling Company. In my respective view, NAFDAC has failed the citizens of this great nation by its certification as satisfactory for human consumption products, which in the United Kingdom failed sample test for human consumption, and which become poisonous in the presence of Ascorbic Acid ordinarily known as Vitamin C, which can be freely taken by the unsuspecting public with the company's Fanta or Sprite.                                             

“As earlier stated, the court is in absolute agreement with the learned counsel for the claimants that consumable products ought to be fit for human consumption irrespective of race, colour or creed.”

Justice Oyebanji also held that by its certification as satisfactory, Fanta and Sprite, without any written warning on the products that it cannot be taken with Vitamin C, NAFDAC would have caused great harm to the health of unsuspecting Nigerians.                                       

“The court, in the light of the damning evidence before it showing that NAFDAC has failed to live up to expectation, cannot close its eyes to the grievous implication of allowing the status quo to continue as it is.
“For the reasons herein adumbrated in this judgment, the court hereby orders as follows:
“That NAFDAC shall forthwith mandate Nigeria bottling company to, within 90 days hereof, include on all the bottles of Fanta and Sprite soft drinks manufactured by the company, a written warning that the content of the said bottles of Fanta and Sprite soft drinks cannot be taken with Vitamin C as same becomes poisonous if taken with Vitamin C.


“In consideration of the fact that this case was filed in 2008 and that it has been in court for nine years, costs of N2 million is awarded against NAFDAC. Interest shall be paid on the costs awarded at the rate of 10% per annum until liquidation of the said sum,” ruled Justice Oyebanji.

Isaac Oyimah with additional reports from Sahara Reporters/GEE
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Saturday, February 18, 2017

Fake drugs, NAFDAC revolution and economic growth

Prior to the creation of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) in 1992, the control and regulation of food, drugs, cosmetics, Chemicals and packaged water was seriously hampered by bureaucratic bottlenecks among other factors. The decision of the Federal Government to create the Agency in 1992 was therefore informed by the desire to ensure a more effective control of foods, drugs and other regulated products.

The late Minister of Health, Prof. Olikoye Ransome Kuti in 1999 while inaugurating the Governing Council of NAFDAC, said “NAFDAC as an agency is being inaugurated today, to give a frontal attack to the health problems arising from foods, chemicals, drugs, medicines and similar regulated products without the inhibition of civil service setting.”

In December 2016, NAFDAC under the leadership of Acting Director-General, Mrs. Yetunde Oni confiscated imported fruits juice worth millions of Naira in Onitsha, Anambra State; when the operatives of NAFDAC raided some markets and super stores in Onitsha. Some of the fruit juices confiscated were labelled Masafi, Euro drinks and Peach.

The Onitsha raid was in line with Federal Government’s ban on imported fruit juices and other products and it really achieved her aim of strengthening local industries and increase activities in the fruit juice manufacturing sector.

It is a fact that local production would reduce the foreign exchange put into importation of goods, so the activities of NADFAC is aimed at developing the local industry in Nigeria. Hence, on Tuesday, 24th of January, 2017 the agency destroyed substandard pharmaceutical products in Igwurita, near Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The destroyed products, stored in 21 containers were seized by the Nigerian Customs Services and NAFDAC and it is valued at N9.6 billion.

You can imagine if those fake pharmaceutical products such as Tramadol capsules of 100mg, Diclofena Sodium Capsule 50mg and Diahhea Stop 2mg, Oxyetracycline Hcl 50mg, Sildenafil tab mg, Diclotemac 40mg, Caffeine 30mg and conditioning preparation all imported from India and Nordana, USA  have gone into the market, millions of Nigerians would have died consuming them.

The N9.6Billion would have gone a long way to establish manufacturing companies and employ millions of Nigeria in the production of such genuine drugs. So, Oni, deserves accolades for the role she played during the reported case of “Plastic Rice” impounded by Nigerian Customs. She took quick action by putting the rice under laboratory test and discovered that the rice was not plastic as speculated but contaminated with microorganisms above permissible limit, hence the rice consignment is unsatisfactory and therefore unwholesome for human consumption.

Also, under the leadership of Mrs. Yetunde Oni, NAFDAC secured eight drug offenders in 12 months. And it is already in public domain that there are 52 cases in Court while eight convictions have been secured between February 2014 till date.

Among those convicted are Okwara Emmanuel who was sentenced to three years imprisonment for manufacturing and sales of fake Rambo insecticide and Dettol Antiseptic; Osita Paul Ely was sentenced to five years for importation of fake Maloxine tablets; Sylvanus Ifeanyi Nwanoro was sentenced to five years imprisonment for manufacturing and sales of fake Cof-N-Cold with Codeine syrup; Clara Onah was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for manufacturing and sales of fake Metronidazole and Juliana Madu was sentenced with an option of fine of N5,000.

I am happy with the directive of the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole that NAFDAC should register all Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs, exhibitors at the ongoing 1st Nigeria Food Safety and Investment Forum within two weeks.

The directive given at the forum organised by the UN Industrial Development Organisation, UNIDO, in Lagos will boost local production and create massive employment to teeming Nigerian youths.

The onus is on the Federal Ministry of Justice to take steps in ensuring the speedy prosecution of other offenders while I call on the Federal Government to provide for more funds so as to get more vehicles, equipment for laboratories e.t.c.

At the same time, security agencies, especially the Nigerian Police should also provide water-tight security for the enforcement officials of NAFDAC as we have another hard working and dedicated Acting Director General overseen the activities of the Agency.

Also, Nigerians; who are the end users of fake drugs should assist NAFDAC by reporting notice of fake products so as for the agency to take necessary actions. There is a free text message number; 29543 available at no cost on the mobile networks for Nigerians to take advantage of.

We must help NAFDAC to carry out her task which include improving access to quality medicines; preventing the influx of substandard products by anti-counterfeiting measures and system strengthening to sustain local manufacturing; use of information technology in the regulation of food, chemicals and other consumables amongst others.

*Contributed by Kenny Adewole, an Abuja-based Journalist. He could be reached via kennyadewole@gmail.com    

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Monday, March 16, 2015

SON, NAFDAC warn Nigerians of killer tomato paste

NaijaAgroNet

The Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has alerted the country on the spread of cancerous tomato pastes which contain colouring starch and other dangerous materials that are able to cause severe health challenges, reports NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet also learnt that this was contained in a recent report from a NAF­DAC survey which revealed that such colouring are carcino­genic and therefore unhealthy for human consumption, adding that aside from the cancer causing colouring, the starch contained in those products are harmful to unsuspecting diabetic patients.


NaijaAgroNetfurther reports that health officials said the products imported from China and contains fewer than the required tomato concentrate as they contain other substances capable of causing cancer, organ failure and further related ailments.


It was said that 90 per cent of the killer tomato brands fall short of the standards of NAFDAC and SON, although both organs were making efforts to remove the sub-standard products from Nigerian market

This has shown that the Nigerian system, particularly that of the Customs, NAFDAC, SON and other relevant agencies who should have as their duty to checkmate imported products intothe Nigerian market are not effective.


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Saturday, December 1, 2012

We can’t live without food – Akunyili

Prof. Akunyili, Former Information Communication Minister

Former Minister of Information and Communications who doubles as a renowned Pharmacist, Prof. Dora Akunyili, has stressed the importance of food, saying man can not live without, but can do without drugs, thus she called for adoption of nutritional supplements, describing them as crucial to healthcare management.
Akunyili made this position know at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja, where she declared open the National Health Conference on Nutrition Therapy organised by a United States-based company.
“Food is actually more important than drug because we can live without drugs but we cannot live without food. This must be why all over the world, it is always Food and Drug Regulatory Agency and not Drug and Food Regulatory Agency,” she said.
She noted that as a pharmacist, she is aware that nutrition plays a key role in people’s health status, stressing “This is because many of the nutrients we need for healthy living can be found in fruits, seeds, roots, vegetables, nuts and unprocessed natural food.”
She disclosed that it was this that made her to give “equal opportunity to various therapies – including food supplements” during her days as Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) from 2001 to 2008.
“We actually paid as much attention to food in NAFDAC as we did to drugs, but for some reason, the public was more interested in drugs. However, I always insisted that every food and drug must meet stipulated standards so that our people do not end up taking poison in the name of food and drugs,” Akunyili stated.
The conference which had as theme “Nutrition: Potency & Possibilities In Health Care Delivery” was jointly organised by Hallelujah Acres USA and Hallelujah Acres Nigeria. It was graced by delegates from across Nigeria, with the President and Chief Education Officer of Hallelujah Acres, Paul Malkmus, and his wife Ann, as special guests.



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