The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) is prompting the Federal Government to scrutinize the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as counterfeit goods have been detected throughout the nation.
In a statement signed by Comrade Babatunde Akinteye, the Senate President of the students’ umbrella organization, the group threatened to take action if Nigerians, particularly students, were poisoned as a result of the country’s widespread sales, distribution, and consumption of adulterated goods.
NANS lamented that the alarming rate of inedible items publicly sold by the evil perpetrators has become worrisome, saying the trend demonstrates the seeming failure and lack of capacity by NAFDAC to arrest and prosecute offenders ripping the country at the expense of the lives of millions of Nigerians.
It stated, “The highly alarming issue we now face in this country is the increased production of fake edible items by some evil perpetrators, whose activities go unchecked by NAFDAC.
“It is so appalling and barbaric that, several adulterated and inedible items are now widely distributed and sold in our markets. We have observed and received several reports and complaints about reduced qualities of these items.”
NANS appealed to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) under the leadership of Professor Moji Adeyeye to wake up to its responsibilities and arrest the perpetrators, saying it is degrading that some of the fake items allegedly bore NAFDAC’s approved numbers.
“Consumption of these inedible items has been proven to be a leading cause of major health conditions like; Heart diseases, liver problems, kidney diseases, paralysis and lots more. However, we will not keep quiet on pressing national issues like this and we shall make it a point of responsibility to ensure the agency rises to its duties, and do what is right and expected of them.”
“To this effect, we are therefore, calling on the Federal Government to probe the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) under the leadership of Professor Moji Adeyeye, as this is a time we need the Agency to engage all available resources, manpower and machinery to ensure this dastardly act is stopped and the perpetrators are brought to justice, before more damages would be done to consumers.
“Conclusively, we will love to register this on a good note that, should any student under the aegis of NANS, suffer from any form of food poisoning or develop chronic diseases due to consumption of fake products, the association shall hold NAFDAC responsible.” NANS added.
