The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Friday said the agency will not bow to any pressure in its bid to rid the country of banned, counterfeit, unregistered and harmful drugs, just as it offered reasons for the imposition of N700,000 levy on traders.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, made this known at a news conference in Lagos over the payment of N700,000 by traders.
Adeyeye said NAFDAC recent enforcement operation in Idumota (Lagos State), Aba (Abia State) and Onitsha (Anambra State) open drug market where harmful and banned drugs worth over N1 trillion were evacuated was a measure taken by the agency to safeguard the health of the nation.
She said the charges imposed on the traders are investigative charges, which were reduced from N5 million to N200,000 for sale of unregistered drugs, and N2 million to N500,000 for violation of storage after rigorous consultation.
The D-G said over 2,500 traders with 3,500 shops have resumed their normal activity in Ogbogwu market in Onitsha after paying the investigative charges and evacuation of drugs that contravene NAFDAC regulations were removed from the shops.
