NAFDAC seeks support to end drug hawking
… Says ripening of fruits with Calcium Carbide a serious menace
From Chinedu Nwafor, Abakaliki
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is seeking the support of the media and security agencies to end the menace of drug hawking and ripening of fruits with calcium carbide in Nigeria.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye made the call during the South East Zone Media Sensitisation on ‘Dangers of Drugs Hawking and Ripening of Fruits with Calcium Carbide’ held in Awka on Tuesday.
Adeyeye who was represented by Dr Leonard Omokpariola, Director, Chemical and Evaluation Research, noted that the menace had become huge threats, adding that the agency was committed to tackling it head-long.
According to her, drug hawkers constitute serious threat to national security and ripening of fruits with carbides is another public health challenge as the consumption of such fruits is dangerous to health.
“NAFDAC has noticed the dangerous practice of sale and consumption of fruits artificially ripened with calcium carbide as well as illegal hawking of drugs in the open market,” the DG added.
She emphasized on the dangers and health implications of the two nefarious activities by certain persons she described as unpatriotic and unscrupulous citizens and disclosed that the agency was taking stringent regulatory measures to end the harmful practices.
“We cannot do it alone so we solicit the cooperation and support of all other law enforcement agencies, media and well-meaning Nigerians in riding the country of this harmful and shameful practice,”
“We want to warn that illegal drug hawker arrested by NAFDAC would be prosecuted and no offender will be spared from facing the full wrath of the law,” Adeyeye said.
In his remarks, Mr Onyishi Ogbonna, Anambra State Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), assured of the agency’s readiness to support NAFDAC in the fight against drug hawking in the country.
