Published By Olukayode Idowu
The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) will soon commission it’s brand new ultra modern edifice in Damaturu, the Yobe state capital.
The building which has reached advanced stages of completion along Gujiba road axis of Damaturu would contain sophisticated laboratories for staff to work and several offices and stores.
The edifice is expected to be commissioned by the Director General of the agency Professor Mojisola Adeyeye before the end of the year.
Giving the hint while chatting with metrowatchonline in Damaturu, coordinator of the NAFDAC office in Yobe, Musa Lawan said that for the first time, the young state shall have a very conducive working atmosphere for all it’s scientists to be able to operate from by giving their best to the various demands of the job.
Reviewing activities of 2021, Lawan said that about N576.5 m worth of drugs were destroyed by the North East zone of NAFDAC of which Yobe state was a major contributor.
Musa who chatted with metrowatch in his office in Damaturu revealed that a large chunk of the destroyed drugs from the north east zone were seized in Potiscum which has remained a major supplier of fake drugs in the state.
He told metrowatch online that it was the duty of all residents to help in the exposure of drug cartels so that the prevalence of unwholesome drugs in the state will be reduced to the barest minimum.
The State coordinator stated that the most challenged areas of his agency in terms of operation is not the state capital but Potiscum because of its proximity to the metropolitan city of Kano where they get their supplies.
On fake and sub-standard drugs, the coordinator, said that Yobe contributed a large chunk of the over N500m worth of drugs destroyed in the Gombe zone last year by NAFDAC operatives.
“I personally witnessed the destruction of the drugs which if consumed would have been harmful to our people. And most of our unwholesome drugs in Yobe sadly comes from Potiscum.
“It has a high menace of sub standard drugs situation. This is because 90 percent of unregistered chemist shops which sell such drugs are found in the town.”
To ameliorate this problem, NAFDAC Yobe office has two outposts apart from the head office in the Federal Secretariat and one of such posts has been perched in Potiscum.
“We were able to create 2 senatorial zones to cover the state effectively since I assumed duty. Gashua/Nguru and the Potiscum zone. That has enabled us to close down several unregistered outfits selling unwholesome drugs to the people.
Alhaji Musa said that for effective combat of the scourge, his agency had been working with the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to create easy solutions to daring cases formed by cartels which needs to be nipped in the bud quickly.
He commended the media equally which he said has been giving them serious support in their drive to take down drugs like tramadol and others which have been banned by the government.
Speaking on challenges, the coordinator said ” our major challenge is the lingering insurgency. To avoid being attacked, we have to disguise as much as possible when going out on field assignments.
“This is the only way we can avoid being attacked by them. We need more vehicles to enable us navigate through dangerous terrains like Gulani and environs to do the job.
“Most of the areas we have insurgency problems are Gujiba and Gaidam. We do use escorts when ever we are going to such dangerous areas.
“All our personnel are alive and doing well as we did not loose any of our staff during the heat of the insurgency which affected the state last year.”
He commended the Director General of his agency Professor Adeyeye and the Yobe state government for supporting them in building their permanent site along Gujiba road near the central bank of Nigeria (CBN).
On food and non food items, the coordinator revealed that they have been on top of their challenges taking each day as it comes.