The Kano State Task Force Committee on Fake, Counterfeit Drugs and Unwholesome Foods Pharmacist Gali Sule has said that circulating of substandard drugs is affecting healthcare delivery system in Nigeria.
The Chairman, who is also Director of Pharmaceutical Services Kano State Ministry of Health stated this during his interaction with members of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Kano State Council in the programme tagged ‘ Meet the Media’
Gali Sule noted that the Committee has seized and destroyed fake and counterfeit drugs worth N6 billion since its inception in 2012.
He maintained that the Committee has also prosecuted over 300 persons found in connection to substandard drugs in Kano, noting that reasonable number of convictions were secured within the period in review.
Gali Sule pointed out the Committee was established by Federal Government in 2012 to control supply and demand reduction of fake and counterfeit drugs in the state.
” The committee was established by Federal Government and fully funded by Kano State Government”
” Drug is on the Federal Exclusive Legislative list. 3 Federal Government Regulatory Agencies were established to oversee the licence, marketing, production, distribution retailing and consumption of drug in Nigeria. The Agencies are: Pharmacist Council of Nigeria, (PCN) National Agency for Food and Drug Adminstration and Control (NAFDAC) and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)”
The chairman of the committee lamented that the Committee was established by former Director General, NAFDAC Paul Orhii due to high prevalent usage of drugs in Kano, which was on top ranking of drug abuse in the country against the present position of being number 6 in the country.
He stated that the committee is yielding a positive result emphasizing that expert indices indicated that fake drug sellers have drastically reduced in the state.
” Majority of fake and counterfeit drugs marketers have relocated to neighboring states”
“Those who are into this nefarious activities encountered with serious economic meltdown”
” They conducted their illicit activities in Sabongari market and no single shop in Sabongari market has license to conduct drugs business” he added.
