My complaint is with regard to a report by your reporter, Victoria Ojeme. The story is at page 22 of Sunday Vanguard of February 6, 2010. It is titled, “FG’s War against cholera at risk – storage of vaccines raises eye brow”.  Beside the story is a photograph of the vaccines referred to in the story with the caption, “Imported vaccines allegedly left under the sun”.

I am frankly at a loss as to the true intent of the story and the level of knowledge of this reporter in health matters if she cannot make the distinction between infusions and vaccines. I wonder about the research or investigation that was done before the report was published.

I make these observations because there seemed to be a deliberate attempt to mislead readers by the title and the captions which boldly refer to the drugs as vaccines while a more discerning reader who would take the time to look closely at the cartons will see that the red labels indicate that the cartons contain infusions manufactured by JUHEL Pharmaceuticals, a proudly Nigerian company located in Awka, Anambra State.

I must add that the factory was commissioned by Mr. President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, on the 15th of October, 2010.

The reporter in the first paragraph also refers to the drugs as infusions leading one to wonder what exactly she means.  Her report states that the drugs were stored in the general car park. This is untrue.  The cartons shown in the report are reserves which were being evacuated to some states around the federation at the time the Honourable Minister of Health, Professor C.O. Onyebuchi Chukwu, was undertaking a tour of the ministry’s storage facilities – one of which is located in the basement of the building.

That storage facility being in the basement is not in any way exposed to the elements as anyone who is familiar with basements will know. The basement of a building sits beneath it and is therefore protected by the main building from all the elements.

The 4th and 5th paragraphs quote an unknown person who said the drugs are constantly being pilfered.  The security outfit’s effectiveness is being called to question and I will not be surprised if the reporter is asked to substantiate this accusation.  However, I must state that while the Ministry is not aware of any such pilferage, this will certainly be investigated.

I believe the fact that JUHEL is a Nigerian company exposes the falsehood contained in the 6th paragraph where the reporter says her nameless sources told her they arrived in Nigeria “with only a few months to its (sic) expiration.

Finally, I have spoken to Dr.  Henry Akpan, the Chief Epidemiologist of Nigeria and he denies telling the reporter that “the ministry’s warehouse is full and the drugs will only be there for a while”.

The present administration is working hard to reposition the health sector. Unfavourable and unsubstantiated reports are unhelpful to the good relationship that we have cultivated thus far.

We continue to thank Vanguard Media Limited for its unrelenting support of the Federal Ministry of Health in its efforts at developing the Nigerian health sector. Your reports and health pages are always educative and enlightening and it is Professor Chukwu’s pleasure and pride to be associated with you.

*Rakiya Zubairu, Special Assistant (Communications) to the Honourable Minister of Health.
Editor’s note

We regret the mix-up in the report and the pains caused the Federal Ministry of Health.