TheNewsGuru

Tag: NAFDAC

  • Ease of Doing Business: NPA orders NAFDAC, SON to vacate seaports in 24 hours

    Ease of Doing Business: NPA orders NAFDAC, SON to vacate seaports in 24 hours

    The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has given a 24-hour ultimatum to officials of unauthorised government agencies to vacate the seaports or risk being arrested.

    The directive is in line with a new order issued to NPA by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).

    PEBEC directed NPA to ensure strict compliance to the October 26, 2011, presidential directive on agencies permitted to operate in the ports.

    The NPA, therefore, reiterated that only eight federal government agencies were allowed to operate and have physical representation at all port locations in the country.

    General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications of NPA, Abdullahi Goje, in a statement, said the agencies allowed representation at the ports were: Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); Nigerian Customs Service (NCS); Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA); Nigeria Police; Department of State Security (DSS); Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Port Health and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) should remain at the ports.

    The directive stated that other agencies not mentioned in the list should remain outside the ports premises as the Nigerian Customs Service, which is the lead agency for inspection of cargoes, had developed standard operating procedures to facilitate their seamless operation.

    “The NPA remains committed to the determination of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to enhance the ease of doing business in the country and the improvement of conditions under which business is carried out in all ports across the country.

    “The NPA solicits for the kind support of all agencies and stakeholders in the Nigerian maritime sector towards actualising the noble goal of making Nigeria a destination of choice for all legitimate businesses,” Goje said.

    The affected agencies include National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), among others.

  • Fire guts NAFDAC headquarters

    Fire guts NAFDAC headquarters

    The headquarters of National Agency For Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Abuja has been gutted by fire on Friday.

    The Director, Search and Rescue of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Sonny Ohemu, who led a team to inspect the scene, said the cause of the inferno is being investigated.

    Ohemu explained that the fire incident started at about 6.20 a.m and the cleaners as well as security guards in NAFDAC called the Federal Fire Service immediately.

    “We arrived the place promptly to put out the fire,’’ said the director.

    According to the director, the inferno touched only two offices. “We must commend the management of NAFDAC for training people like cleaners to know what to do in case of fire disaster.

    “We have to also appreciate the Federal Government for the recent purchase of equipment for Fire Service which has really helped to curtail the situation,” he said.

    However, it is reported that security guards are preventing people from gaining entrance to the complex, while staffers of the agency are seen outside the premises.

    The management of NAFDAC is yet to react to the incident just as the mobile phone of the agency’s spokesman, Dr Abubakar Jimoh, was switched off.

     

    NAN

  • Anambra to suspend production, sale of unregistered rice – NAFDAC

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has called on the Anambra Government to suspend production and sale of all unregistered rice labelled “Anambra Rice’’.

    Mrs Christiana Essenwa, a Deputy Director of NAFDAC, made the call on Monday during a visit to the state Ministry of Agriculture in Awka.

    Essenwa said that the call became imperative following a petition forwarded to NAFDAC by Stine Industries, Nnewi, over the alleged counterfeiting and illegal use of the trade mark by the state government.

    “Sometime this year, a petitioner, Stine Industries, came to our office with a petition that their products were being re-packaged illegally by some rice processors.

    “Stine Industries came to NAFDAC with a Certificate of Incorporation and the trade mark in 2016 for NAFDAC registration number but the state government surfaced with the same trade mark in 2017.

    “There is no way the Ministry of Commerce and Industry can give one trade mark to two individuals or companies.

    “We went on a raid and discovered that in truth, there were products branded ‘Anambra Rice’ but with no NAFDAC registration number,” she said.

    The deputy director stressed that there were a lot of dangers in consuming unregistered food items, including rice.

    According to her, rice has the tendency of harbouring aflatoxin and heavy metals called arsenic, which can cause cancer and kidney diseases.

    “The Federal Government is pleased with efforts to promote the local industry but at the same time, it is concerned with the health of the people.

    “The idea here is not to witch-hunt the rice processors or to throw them out of business but our aim is solely to protect the consumers,” she said.

    Essenwa said that the suspension was aimed at enabling the state government and Stine Industries to resolve their differences, while maintaining good manufacturing policies for food production in the country.

    Responding, Mr Leo Imoka, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, appealed to the agency to give more time to the two parties resolve their differences.

    He said that the state government was taking steps to acquire appropriate marketing authorisation for its rice production concerns.

    He said that the state government had registered the trade mark with the Federal Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry for the production of five commodities, including cassava, honey and rice.

    “This is because we heard that the Federal Government wanted to ban rice and that states should help in the mass production of rice, knowing the disadvantages of importing rice.

    “The state government keyed into all off-taker programmes for rice production in the country, which has attracted a lot of rice farmers, processors and marketers and led to an increase in rice production.

    “In order not to make the rice affordable to our citizens, we opened with the brand name `Anambra Rice’ to differentiate our rice from that of other rice producers until we are able to register under an umbrella with NAFDAC.’’

    Imoka said that an inter-ministerial committee was set up by the government to accredit rice producers and processors so as to ensure that only those with standard production environment were allowed to use the brand name.

  • Dogara stops consideration of NAFDAC’s N18.9bn budget

    The House of Representatives on Tuesday stopped the consideration of the 2017 budget of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC.

    The budget of N18.9bn had earlier passed first and second readings before the House referred it to the Committee on Healthcare Services for NAFDAC to defend the proposals before the committee would report back to the plenary for approval.

    However, when the report was due for consideration on Tuesday in the Committee of the Whole, it turned out that the Chairman of the Committee on Healthcare Services, Mr. Chike Okafor, was unavailable.

    Besides, the budget, which was listed against Okafor’s name, lacked details.

    In Okafor’s absence, the Deputy Chairman of the committee, Mr. Mohammed Usman, moved for the consideration of the budget.

    But, as members settled down, the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, immediately observed that there were no details of the proposals.

    “What is worth doing is worth doing well.

    “This is not how we handle budgets in the House. There have to be details attached. Without the details, we can’t proceed”, the speaker said.

    Usman, reading the document Okafor prepared, merely gave the block figures of the budget.

    The overhead cost from Federal Government’ appropriation in the budget is N7.5bn; while the overhead proposal from Internally Generated Revenue and other sources is N8.2bn.

    The personnel cost is N4.4bn.

  • FG appoints Magbojuri as acting DG of NAFDAC

    The spokesperson of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, on Saturday said the Federal Government has approved the approval of Mr. Ademola Magbojuri as the new Acting Director General of the Agency.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Magbojuri takes over from Mrs Yetunde Oni.

    He explained that the immediate past Acting director general reached the retirement age of 60 years on Sept. 21 and Federal Government directed that the most senior director in the the agency take over.

    He said that Magbojuri, who would pilot the affairs of NAFDAC until the new substantive DG is appointed, had received handing over notes on Friday.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Magbojuri, until this appointment, was in charge of NAFDAC’s training and research institute in Kaduna.

    However, as at Friday, the NAFDAC head office in Abuja was still sealed by the union that was agitating over none payment of allowances and appointment of either an acting or substantive DG.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the NAFDAC’s Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria started an industrial action on Friday Sept. 22, over improved allowances and appointment of the new Director General of the agency.

    The Vice President of the union, Mr Idzi Isua told NAN on Friday that they were around the office to ensure total compliance by the members.

    Isua said that the union was demanding for an allowance known as a specific allowance which other agencies in the same salary structure with NAFDAC were benefitting.

     

  • JUST IN: FG wades into NAFDAC crisis, approves immediate resignation of acting DG, Oni

    Sequel to the crisis that recently befell the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, over the demands for the resignation of the acting Director General, Mrs. Yetunde Oni, the Federal Government on Thursday approved the immediate resignation of the embattled acting DG.

    The directive for the ‘immediate retirement’ was granted by the Permanent Secretary in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, R.P. Ugo.

    The directive, dated September 28, was in response to a letter written to the SGF by Mrs. Oni over the worker’s unrest in the regulatory agency.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the workers of the Agency commenced an indefinite strike last week demanding among others the immediate removal of Mrs. Oni, whom they said was already due for retirement.

    Details later…

  • Strike: NAFDAC union insists on sack of acting DG, Oni

    The National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) workers say they will continue with their strike until the Federal Government appoints a substantive Director-General.

    Mr Ejor Michael, the National Public Relations Officer (PRO), Medical and Health Union of Nigeria, NAFDAC chapter, made this known on Saturday in Abuja in an interview with newsmen

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the union on Friday embarked on an indefinite strike to demand a new DG or the appointment of the most senior director to run the affairs of the agency.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Acting DG, Mrs. Yetunde Oni, had been on acting capacity since February 2016 and had acted for over one year.

    “She clocks 60 years on Thursday and by virtue of public service rule she has to go but she doesn’t want to go.

    “”We, therefore, ask the Federal Government to give us a substantive DG or the most senior director in NAFDAC take over same way Oni took over as the most senior in 2016,” Michael said.

    The union alleged that the acting director had handed over to a director who is not the most senior.

    Mr Idu Isua, Vice Chairman of the union said that the next senior director was supposed to take charge after Oni had attained the mandatory age of 60 years.

    He said that the next in line to the Acting DG should automatically take charge before the appointment of a substantive DG by the Federal Government.

    In a swift reaction, Mr Jimoh Abubakar, Director of Public Relations and Special Duties, NAFDAC said that the appointment of the DG was an exclusive preserve of the President.

    He said that the controversy surrounding the appointment of an acting DG was needless, adding that the Federal Government was aware of the situation and would take appropriate step at the right time.

    “Government in its wisdom will take appropriate decision, we should not be in a hurry, government is aware of information we are not privy to.

     

     

    NAN

  • Breaking: NAFDAC staff embark on indefinite strike

    Medical and Health Workers Union chapter of National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Friday embarked on an indefinite strike, demanding improved welfare.

    The union wanted the management to implement agreed welfare package entered in 2013. It was also demanding immediate retirement of the agency’s acting Director General, Mrs Yetunde Oni, stressing that Oni should hand over to the immediate senior officer before the appointment of a substantive director-general.

    Mr Idu Isua, the Vice Chairman of the union, while addressing members, said the union signed an agreement with the management and the Minister of Health to review its welfare package in 2013 but the demands were yet to be met.

    According to him, the Minister of Health and NAFDAC management, along with Wages and Salary, agreed to review members pay upward after they embarked on strike to press home their demand in 2013.

    He said “we resolved that funds be drawn from our Internally Generated Revenue to finance the upward reviewed package of staff but to our greatest surprise, nothing was done since then.

    “When we came on board as union in 2013, we took a look at the allowances of staff and discovered it was low compared with other agencies that we enjoy same salary scale with.” Isua said the union complained to Ministry of Health and took it up with management “but up till today, nothing has been done.”

    The union vice chairman said “the strike was not a fresh one because we took same action two years ago and last year and based on agreement reached, the strike was suspended.

    “However, nothing was done on our salary review up till now.” Isua also said that Mrs Oni, who had been acting as director-general of the agency was due for retirement on Sept. 21, having attained 60 years of age “but was currently not in the country.”

    The civil service rule stated that whoever stays in service for either 60 years of age or 35 years in service must retire. “She was 60 years yesterday (Sept. 21, 2017); she must go; these are our grievances.”

  • NAFDAC replies Senate, says ‘No killer anti-malaria drugs in circulation’

    Sequel to Senate’s warning to Nigerians last week that there were some 42 banned drugs in Europe sold, consumed in Nigeria, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) has dispelled the alarm, insisting there are no “killer” anti-malarial medicines in Nigeria.

    The Acting Director-General of the agency, Dr. Yetunde Oni, spoke at a news conference in Lagos on Tuesday.

    Oni said: “We want to douse the tension and correct the misinformation on the social and mainstream media about the 42 anti-malarial medicines purportedly banned by the European Union but allegedly circulating in the country.

    “It is pertinent to mention that the allegedly banned anti-malarial medicines are oral monotherapies containing single Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) such as Artesunate as contained in Arinate tablet.

    “Others are Amodiaquine as contained in Camoquine, Dihydroartemisinin contained in Alaxin tablet and Pyrimethamine contained in Daraprim tablet.”

    She advised Nigerians to use Artemisin Combination Therapies (ACTs) as they were the WHO’s recommended anti-malarial drugs.

    “I wish to state categorically that these anti-malarial monotherapies are not recommended for treatment of malaria in Nigeria.

    “The recommended anti-malarial medicines for treatment of malaria in Nigeria are Artemisin Combination Therapies (ACTs).

    “The use of ACTs in the treatment of malaria is in line with the guidelines for the treatment of malaria, 3rs Edition, World Health Organisation 2015, Geneva Switzerland.

    “The Nigeria National Anti-Malarial Treatment Policy, February 2005 supports the use of ACTs.”

    She advised Nigerians to look out for scratch and text techniques on anti-malarial drugs before purchase.

     

  • EU rejected 24 Nigerian products in 2016 – NAFDAC

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), says European Union (EU) rejected 24 exported food products from Nigeria in 2016 for failing to meet standards.

    The NAFDAC spokesperson, Dr Abubakar Jimoh made the disclosure while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

    According to Jimoh, the five major products are groundnut, palm oil, sesame seed and beans that were illegally exported to the EU.

    He noted that from the information made available to NAFDAC, groundnut was rejected because it contained aflatoxin, which made the quality substandard.

    “The exported palm oil did not scale through the EU’s test because it also contained a coloring agent that was carcinogenic.

    “Beans was banned by EU sometime ago but it was illegally exported to European countries.

    “Beans was initially banned for one year, when EU was not satisfied with our exported beans in terms of quality assurance, it extended the ban by another two years, which expires next year.

    “NAFDAC and other regulatory agencies of the government are working round the clock to ensure that when the ban is lifted, we can then begin to export more agricultural products to EU,” Jimoh, who is also the NAFDAC Director Special Duties, said.

    He said most of the products that were smuggled out were not certified by the agency and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services at the ports.