By Paul Effiong, Abuja
House of Representatives has urged the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, to imbibe global best practices in checking and confiscating fake drugs, and ensure that legitimate and innocent traders are not caught in the quagmire.
The House also directed its Committee on NAFDAC to investigate these concerns, with a view to ensure that the livelihood of innocent vendors engaged in legitimate businesses in the affected markets are not unfairly impacted.
The resolution followed a motion titled ‘Need for NAFDAC to Exercise Caution Against Hurting Businesses of Innocent Traders During its Operations in Drug Markets,’ raised under matters of urgent national importance during plenary by the member representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency of Anambra State, Afam Ogene.
In his lead debate on the motion, Ogene expressed concern that many people operating in the affected markets had complained about the blanket disruption of businesses, including those of innocent people, causing significant loss of goods and money.
It would be recalled that the House had on Tuesday, called on the federal government to instruct NAFDAC, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, PCN, and other relevant agencies to strengthen surveillance, inspection and enforcement against counterfeit drug manufacturers and distributors nationwide, following a recent discovery and sealing of counterfeit products and medicine markets in Idumota, Lagos State, Ariaria in Aba, Abia State, and Onitsha in Anambra State by NAFDAC.
