Kano destroys N4bn worth of fake drugs
When our correspondent visited the school clinic last Friday, the Chief Medical Director was said to be on her annual leave. The Acting Director could also not be reached. However, a top medical officer who pleaded not to be named because she was not authorised to speak with journalists said it was unfortunate that there has been so much misrepresentation in the press about the actual role played by the clinic.
“There has been so many Kano state government says it has destroyed over N4billion worth of fake, counterfeit and expired drugs from 2012 to 2015 in the state.
The State’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Kabiru Ibrahim Getso made the disclosure yesterday during the destruction of fake, expired drugs and unwholesome processed foods and drinks worth over N88 million at the premises of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kano.
He said between November 2012 and April 2015 10 major joint raids of illegal warehouses were made by the State’s Task Force Committee on Fake and Counterfeit Drugs, the Consumer Protection Council, Government Health Unit of the state’s Ministry of Health and the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and drugs worth two billion, three hundred and thirty three million Naira were confiscated.
He added that thirteen drug destructions were conducted and a total of four billion, two hundred and seventy three million Naira worth of drugs were destroyed.
The state Deputy Governor, Professor Hafiz Abubakar who represented the governor on the occasion of the 14th Episode of the Destruction of Fake and Counterfeit Drugs, Foods and Drinks in the state said the state government would not relent in its efforts to check the nefarious activities of criminals who are all out to harm the lives of innocent people of the state.
He assured the stakeholders of government support and cooperation in the fight against fake, counterfeit and unwholesome processed food and drug products in the state.
Dr. Getso said despite the achievements so far recorded by the state government the challenges facing it are the continued existence of open drug market particularly at the Muhammed Abubakar Rimi market in Sabon Gari area of the state due to lack of cooperation from the previous federal leadership.
He said, “Some of the security personnel stationed at the market to prevent the entering and taking out of drugs from the market have compromised and there are repeated threats to lives of task force committee members and Hisbah personnel.”
In his speech, the new NDLEA Commandant in the state, Malam Hamza Umar commended the effort of the state government in its fight against illicit drugs. He said he was ready to serve in Kano diligently. “What we are destroying today is what the innocent people of this state would have consumed but with the quick intervention and support of government we were able to confiscate them,” he said.