By SolaOgundipe

President Goodluck  Jonathan, has been urged to wade into the crisis currently characterising the nation’s drug distribution system.

Pharmacists under the aegis of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) Lagos State branch who made the call in Lagos weekend, want the President to act decisively on the issue of  drug regulation and administration in the country.

The call, contained in a petition made available to Good Health Weekly entitled “Open Letter on the Unproductive Output of  NAFDAC Under the Leadership of Dr. Orhii,   berated the NAFDAC leadership and also called  for removal of the NAFDAC boss.

The letter, signed by Chairman of the PSN Lagos branch, Pharm Lanre Familusi, stated: “The attention of the PSN Lagos State branch has been drawn to statements credited to the DG, NAFDAC allegedly quoting him to have declared that  ‘it is difficult for NAFDAC to shut down open drug markets at Idumota, Kano, Onitsha, Aba and others because the Agency does not regulate the premises but the drug that is sold.”

According to the  statement:”For the Chief Executive of a major agency like NAFDAC to publicly insinuate that he will not carry out a statutory mandate is a breach of his oath of office and the terms of his appointment.”

The letter noted that in the  objective evaluation of  the PSN (Lagos State branch)  the NAFDAC leadership was encouraging  a dangerous resurgence of fake food and drugs in our borders and negating valid Acts of Parliament.

Familusi also observed that: “For the records, the provisions of Sections 6 & 7 of Act 25 of 1999 are very unambiguous in intent and spirit.  Section 6 of the fake drug and counterfeit drug Act prescribes the establishment of a Federal Task Force which shall be headed by an officer not below Deputy Director from NAFDAC.

The composition of the Federal Task Force includes representative of NAFDAC and Pharmacists’ Council of Nigeria  (PCN) as prerequisite regulators.  Today, the Federal Task Force is a full fledged department of NAFDAC by administrative fiat as it is an integral part of the enforcement directorate at NAFDAC.”

It is imperative to draw attention of Your Excellency to the functions of the Federal Task Force in Section 7 of Act 25 of 1999.  The salient provision of Section 7(2) states inter-alia:  “The Federal Task Force shall have power to seal up any premises used or being used in connection with any offence under this Act until such a time as the drug or poison, as the case may be, in the premises has been removed by the Federal Task Force or until such time as the Minister may determine in the circumstances”.