PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2013
PAGE 7
ADVERTORIAL
RIDDING KANO OF FAKE, COUNTERFEIT, ADULTERATED AND ILLICIT DRUGS IS A TASK THAT MUST BE ACCOMPLISHED
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et me start by expressing appreciation to the Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, for coming to Kano to inaugurate the Kano state Task Force Committee on Fake, Counterfeit, Adultrated Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Food Products after which he led His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kano state, Gov. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, the state commissioner of police, Alh. Ibrahim K. Mohammed, the representative of His Highness the emir of Kano, Alh. Ado Bayero in the person of the Walin Kano, Alhaji Mahe Bashir Wali, mni, (a retired DIG), and other important stakeholders to Mariri where sub-standard, counterfeit, fake and expired drugs worth N700 million were burnt. I am also happy to note that not quite long after that the Task Force was able to discover another truck load consignment fake of drugs of about N30 million. Let me at this juncture assure the people of Kano and indeed the state government and NAFDAC that the Task Force will continue to discharge its functions to the best of its ability and in the best interest of the people of Kano state. The Task Force Committee is mindful of the report by NDLEA which puts Kano on top of its drug abuse index for five consecutive years. It is therefore a thing of joy to note that NAFDAC, Kano state government, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, the Police and other security agencies in the state are determined to reverse this unfortunate trend. In this regard the Task Force in conjunction with other stakeholders will continue to do all it takes to rid Kano of such drugs. This is a task must that must be accomplished. It is important, therefore, to appeal to stakeholders in the drug business including parents and businessmen to support the Task Force in this onerous duty of making Kano a drug-free state. The Task Force Committee is all out to protect the health of the people and anybody that is engaged in clean drug business in the state. It has, however, become imperative to call, or indeed warn, those drug barons and dealers who are illegally making billions of Naira at the expense of the health of our innocent people, regardless of their religion or tribe, think twice because Kano will no longer be a dumping ground, centre, depot or hub for such illegal and unwholesome business. The Committee will, therefore, call on those who are selling drugs in the open market, especially Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi Market, Sabon Gari,
where such drugs are sold like vegetables and provisions to ensure that they follow due process to regularise their businesses with appropriate regulatory agencies. This warning also applies to even those that are selling herbal concoctions which are also a hazardous to the health and well-being of our people. We are surprised that some people are making effort to associate certain tribes with this illegal sale of drugs in Kano. We therefore, advise them to desist, henceforth, so as not to pitch themselves against the indigenous community. Certainly, Kano will continue to maintain its tradition of welcoming people from all parts of the country and beyond and it is expected that these people will reciprocate this gesture by respecting law, order and following due process in all their engagements in the state. It must be said that under the present dispensation those that are using their ill-gotten wealth to bribe their ways through will not, and can not, succeed as it is no longer business as usual, because the people and government are wiser and they are determined to fight the enemies both within and without. The Task Force Committee, therefore, hopes the respected lawyer Barr. Festus Okoye will not allow himself to be misled into defending or protecting anything or persons whose activities in Sabon Gari market run contrary to the health and social wellbeing of young Nigerians regardless of who they are or where they come from, their religion or tribe. However, we pray to Almighty Allah that anybody who is in this business or associates with such, never succeeds, now or in future. We also want to draw the attention of Barr. Okoye that research, the world over, has shown a strong correlation between crime and drugs. Let me once again make it categorically clear that the Task Force will continue to support those who are doing their business legally in the state in accordance with the law and the laid down rules and regulations. No doubt this laudable initiative of sanitising the Kano drug business being spear headed by NAFDAC should be supported by all right-thinking and well-meaning citizens in the state and Nigerians as a whole. Signed PHARM. ALI ADAMU Chairman, Kano state Task Force Committee on Fake, Counterfeit, Adultrated Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Food Products