The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), is calling for collaboration with the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers to completely eradicate fake and substandard drugs in Rivers State.
The South-South Director of NAFDAC Chukwuma Oligbu said this when he and his team led a sensitization awareness campaign on Tuesday to the Office of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers in Port Harcourt.
The South-South Director of NAFDAC, Chukwuma Oligbu stated that many lives have been lost due to fake and substandard drugs.
He said the sensitization visit aims to collaborate with traditional rulers in various communities to reach the grassroots and educate people on obtaining their medications from registered agencies.
Oligbu further emphasized the need for drug importers to obtain NAFDAC clearance before distributing drugs in the country.
He said that NAFDAC is making every effort to apprehend those selling fake and substandard drugs both within and outside the state.
Additionally, he stated that henceforth, fake drugs will be traced back to their manufacturers, ensuring accountability at the source.
He noted that NAFDAC will intensify efforts to identify and dismantle the networks involved in the production and distribution of counterfeit drugs.
The Zonal Coordinator of NAFDAC also said that the agency is working closely with both local and international agencies to ensure the safety of the public.
In his response, the Chairman, of Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, His Majesty King Chike Worlu Wodo, pledged to collaborate with NAFDAC to reach the grassroots across various communities.
He affirmed the commitment of traditional rulers to play an active role in raising awareness and ensuring that the fight against fake and substandard drugs is effective, especially at the community level where such issues are most prevalent.
He noted that the traditional rulers would ensure strict compliance with the fight against drug abuse, fake and substandard drugs in their various communities.
King Chike Worlu Wodo said the menace of substandard drugs if not eradicated would lead to the death of unsuspecting members of the public.
He tasked NAFDAC to ensure prompt prosecution of peddlers of fake and substandard drugs in the state.
The Traditional ruler added that prosecuting defaulters would deter others from distributing fake and sub-standard drugs
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