24th August, 2011
The Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers in Aba, Abia State have handed over expired and fake drugs valued at N30 million to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
Mr. Chukwuka Okorie, Chairman, Ariaria International Market Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers Association, made the disclosure in Aba, while handing over the drugs in three buses to NAFDAC.
Okorie said that the expired and faked drugs were mopped up by the association in the last 14 months.
He explained that some of the drugs were voluntarily brought out by the members of his association, while others were confiscated by the task force in the market.
“We want to sanitise the market and we will continue. Some people cannot come here and start creating problems for those doing genuine business,†he said.
Okorie also said that the association would continue to cooperate with NAFDAC in the war against expired and faked drugs to sanitise the drug markets in the country.
Mr. Festus Anumba, NAFDAC Zonal Head, Aba Special Zone, while receiving the drugs, commended the efforts of the association so far.
“We are encouraged by what they are doing. We are telling them that the reward for hard work is more work, we still expect them to do more,†he said.
Anumba urged them to also provide useful information to the agency in the effort to sanitise the drug market.
“If there is information they feel is exclusive to NAFDAC, they can come forward and we will assist them to sort it out,†he said.
He said that the drugs would be moved to its warehouse, while awaiting directives from the headquarters for the destruction.
Anumba said that the agency had recently impounded some cosmetic Eva soaps worth several million of naira in Aba, with the assistance of the police.
He further said that the commission apprehended two persons in Arochukwu also in Abia for illegally manufacturing sachet water.