By Gabriel Olawale

The Federal government yesterday said that plans to relocate wholesalers of drugs and medicines from all over Lagos to a central location where their activities can be coordinated has been finalized.

Professor Isaac Adewole

Speaking during an advocacy visit to Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole said the decision is aimed at safeguarding lives of Nigerians and helping to regulate  activities of drug distributors.

Adewole stated: “We will not want a situation where anybody can bring drugs and keep it in the house, in the store, in the farm and distribute and we thought that we should implement a decision where we will bring this drugs to a central location where everybody will know what is happening there.

“If we do not extend the deadline by 1st of August, anybody that is not selling drugs at that central location should be arrested.

“This administration has a human face and will refrain from inflicting pains on Nigerians in its bid to get things right. Hence, we will work with the Lagos State Government to resolve all issues delaying the take off of the project and ensure we have a workable date.”

The Minister who was on a working visit for the implementation of the National Drug Distribution Guidelines said the policy is also taking off in Aba, Onitsha and Kano and hinted at the possibility of adding more cities in the future.

Adewole earlier visited the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Oluranti Adebule and also met with the Oba of Ojora who is the traditional ruler of the host community where the warehouse centres would be located.

The Minister disclosed that his visit was to solicit the support of the traditional ruler in his bid to fast-track implementation.