A Federal High Court in Lagos last week wound up the pharmaceutical company. The Production Manager, Abiodun Adeyemo and the Quality Assurance Manager of the firm, Ebele Austine Eromosele, were sentenced to 14 years jail term on two separate counts.
Director General of NAFDAC, Paul Orhii, described the 14-year jail term and confiscation of assets of Barewa Pharmaceuticals as a landmark in NAFDAC’s bid to deal with counterfeiters. He told The Guardian that “It is the first time we have ever secured that kind of conviction. My Pikin was concluded to have been contaminated. The manufacturer used Diethylene Glycol in place of Propylene Glycol in the product.”
Diethylene Glycol is an ingredient in anti-freeze and brake fluid, which is also used as industrial solvent. Propylene glycol is harmless and sweet, used in a wide range of medicines and foods, but more expensive than Diethylene Glycol. Counterfeiters and chemical dealers push up their profits by selling the cheaper Diethylene Glycol as Propylene Glycol.
Meanwhile, Orhii and his management team have been commended for the milestone victory of the agency in the court. The Country Manager of Sproxil Nigeria Limited, Mr. Lawrence Nwosu, commended Orhii’s courage and forthrightness in opening the case immediately he assumed office in 2009 and following through till the end to secure a conviction that would act as a deterrent to others. Nwosu also hailed Justice Okechukwu Okeke of the Federal High Court, Lagos for sentencing the accused persons to 14 years’ jail term, saying it is a reflection of his doggedness and determination to join the fight to end the incidence of fake drugs in Nigeria. He said the judge’s action will serve as an inspiration to other judges in the world who are keen about eradicating the incidence of fake drugs by handing out severe punishments to offenders and not just a mere slap on the wrist.
According to Nwosu, the judgment will not only serve as a big deterrent but an affirmation of the support of the judiciary to the zero-tolerance for fake drugs declared by President Goodluck Jonathan. He said: “A judgment of this magnitude has never happened before. This is the first time in the last 20 years since NAFDAC was established. This is a reflection of Orhii’s determination to end the incidence of fake drugs in Nigeria and I would like to urge him to do more.” He said the forfeiture of the assets of Barewa Pharmaceutical Ltd by the court would send a strong warning to companies which are negligent about the likely implication their products will have on the health of Nigerians, urging drug manufacturers to take safety issues seriously in the manufacture of their products.
Also, the Managing Director of FIDSON Healthcare Plc and Vice President of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Group, Dr. Fidelis Ayebae, said the judgment is a victory not just for the pharmaceutical industry but also the entire citizens of Nigeria. He said NAFDAC’s unwavering commitment to the prosecution of fake drug offenders combined with the deployment of cutting-edge technologies, has helped to reduce the incidence of counterfeiting drastically. His words: “The pharmaceutical manufacturing sector is eternally grateful to Orhii for the introduction of cutting-edge technologies, WHO-Prequalification programme and other strategies that have combined to improve production capacity and standardisation of the quality of drugs in the country.”
Ayebae called on the Federal Executive Council to expeditiously approve and forward the draft bill for the amendments of NAFDAC Laws to the National Assembly in order to give impetus to the agency’s dogged fight against drug counterfeiting in the country. “The law should be reviewed to immediately grant NAFDAC’s request for a life sentence for fake drugs convicts. The agency’s determination to achieve zero-tolerance of counterfeit drugs would only be possible if the penalties are severe enough to deter prospective offenders”. Ayebae also threw his support behind NAFDAC’s quest for the property of convicts to be forfeited to government so that victims can be compensated from proceeds of sales of forfeited items.
http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=122877:nafdac-others-laud-verdict-on-my-pikin-baby-mixture&catid=1:national&Itemid=559
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