The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) raided various pharmaceutical and patent stores in the Territory’s Satellite Towns yesterday, enforcing adherence to operational requirements.
This is done to safeguard citizens from being exposed to counterfeit and fraudulent pharmaceuticals.
The FCTA’s Taskforce on on Counterfeit and Fake drugs, went round patent stores and pharmacy stores, inspecting drug storage conditions and removing drugs not registered by NAFDAC, which are considered fake, to guarantee residents don’t have access to them.
The squad stormed and sealed Chikamsi Pharmacy and Stores Ltd and e-Health Pharmacy and Stores ltd, as well as White House Plaza, near Karu Market, in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) for none compliance to directive issued and drugs confiscated for not having NAFDAC no or beyond their operative threshold .with the help of several police officer
The team also inspected Palax medicine store, Odera Pharmacy ltd, Helium Medical Services Ltd, Steps Pharmacy ltd, all located along Nyana-Jikwoyi road, Karu.
Explaining the exercise, Head of Pharmaceutical Inspectorate of the Health and Human Services Secretariat(HHSS), Aje Oitu Oga, said it aims at ensuring that there is compliance to good pharmaceutical practice in the FCT.
Oga, who stood in for Director, Pharmaceutical Services Department, added that the raid is also to ensure that the condition under which drugs are kept and sold are hygienic and conducive.
According to him, “We have NAFDAC as a member of the Taskforce to ensure that they go round the drugs on the counters in every pharmacy or patent medicine shop.So far, in all the shops we have gone to, less than 1% don’t have problem, it is not always punitive but corrective measures are taken to ensure compliance, as we told them the right thing to do, and they complied. While most of the places we went to, the Pharmacists were not on ground, and a compliance directive was issued, as they are supposed to render services to the community.
“And if your premises is sealed, you will ensure that you meet all the laid down conditions for operating such business, then we go and unseal the premises. My advise to residents is that they should patronise only registered pharmacy shops and healthcare facilities spread across the area councils for primary healthcare services. People need to shun patronising Patent medicine dealers , except when they cannot do otherwise”, he stressed
Similarly, Director, in charge of Abuja Zonal of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Peter Iliya, noted that the risk of having non-complying drugs outlets, is that one may not be sure of the quality of products and services available to the people.
Iliya, a statutory member of the Taskforce, opined that “the compliance level in FCT is not optimal, so there is much room for improvement. And for those who are complying, we commend them, and we encourage them to continue to keep complying as excellence is supposed to be the ultimate goal of any professional practice.
“But for those, who don’t comply, they should be warned that the arms of the law will catch up with them. As the wheel of justice maybe slow, but surely, and steadfastly, it will grind to its final destination with devastating consequences for those who are doing the wrong thing.”
The Ministerial Task Force on City Sanitation for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has identified key locations suspected to be criminal dens for demolition along the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport road corridor.
Comrade Ikharo Attah, the Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection, and Enforcement, who led the exercise on Tuesday, intimated that the places are a security threat.
Saying, in a few days, the bulldozer will hit the Bassanjiwa and Fataan settlements, which are adjacent to the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport’s local wing’s main gate.
All shanties and illegal buildings near the BassanJiwa railway station, which is close to the Airport corridor, will be removed, according to Attah.
He said, the planned demolition was in continuation of the minister’s directives to keep the city free from illegalities that usually serve as haven for criminals.
The Taskforce, also marked illegal structures at Karonmajiji and other shanties that take over Kuje township road, causing unabated grildlock.
According to him: “Marking of these structures is a prelude to the intensive work that we have planned to do in most part of the city to keep it more safe.
“We started with Karonmajiji, then BassanJiwa where people have built up to the railway line which is very bad, the structures are even touching the rail pillars, and for security reasons we wouldn’t allowed such to stand. In Kuje, the traffic in the heart of the town is very bad and we have to reclaim it. We can’t sit down and watch the illegalities to continue.
He said pulling down of shanties that have taken over Kuje township road would start after consultation with the chairman of the Area Council,the traditional ruler and other key stakeholders.
“Kuje own, we will do more of engagement in collaboration with the stakeholders on the need for the people to understand that the illegal structures must be removed”
Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunnibe Mamora
…Identifies Poor Remuneration , Economic Performance, Security As Major Cause
The Minister of State for Health, Sen. Adeleke Mamora has decried migration of the professionals to foreign countries in search of greener pastures.
He, however, identified poor remuneration for health workers, poor economic performance, poor security cover for lives and properties and immigration policy of developed countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada and United States of America that favour immigration of highly skilled individuals, as the causes.
According to the Minister of State, “The first wave of migration of highly skilled healthcare professionals started between the late 1980’s to the early 1990s. It affected mainly the health and education sectors. Sadly, the migration has continued to increase at an alarming rate till today. During the first wave, only Specialists in different fields of Medicine were involved while the second wave of migration that started towards the end of 1990s to date and this cancer has sent metastases as to affect virtually the entire healthcare professionals and particularly the medically qualified professionals, registered by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
“Some factors were found to be the drivers of the emigration of these highly skilled professionals; some of them are ‘poor remuneration for health workers’ (when compared with their counterparts in other parts of the world), poor economic performance, poor security cover for lives and properties and immigration policy of developed countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada and United States of America that favour immigration of highly skilled individuals.
“The Federal Ministry of Health has noted with concern, the rate at which Nigeria is losing her Specialists and experienced health professionals trained at great cost to other countries that offer more robust welfare packages and other conditions of service.Emigration of health care professionals contributed immensely to the gap observed in the Country’s Human Resources for Health.
“Out of about 75,000 registered Medical Practitioners in the Country, nearly half have migrated to other Countries in search of the proverbial greener pastures. This observation is true for other cadres in the health sector. I am quick to note that these are young and our best brains that need to be nurtured in order to ensure growth and development of our dear nation. We must also note that the Government spends between $21000 and $51000 to train a Medical Doctor ‘under a relatively free educational system”.
He revealed, “In publication by the Asian Journal of Medicine in 2017 stated that in 2013, 34,522 Nigerian Tourists visited India out of which 15,328 (42.4%) went on medical tourism and the number of medical tourists per year has gradually increased since 2013. The Central Bank of Nigeria’s Balance of Payment report released in March 2022 stated that Nigerians spent $11.01 Billion on health-related services in foreign Countries between 2010 and 2020.
“The situation we find ourselves as a Nation is unsettling. We use the scarce resources to train these health professionals ‘bond free’ and due to one reason or the other, these fellows seek for greener pastures outside the shores of this country. Rather ironically, Nigerians spend hard earned currency to access the services of our own homegrown professionals in a foreign land. This is a case of double jeopardy or you may call it ‘The twin evil in Nigeria’s Health System’ because Nigeria is losing her hard-earned foreign currency to medical tourism and also losing her highly trained Health professionals to emigration. Experts have opined that consistent annual investment of $1Billion lost to medical tourism in the country’s health system for 5 years would have changed the nation’s health indices positively and reverse the trend of tourism to a reasonable extent”.
He lamented, “Furthermore, the few Health Professionals that are still in the service of government are either overworked and or need to rely on the expertise of the retired Senior Colleagues who are also overworked. This has impacted on the quality of service obtainable at our health facilities at all levels. For example:The Country’s poor health indices (NDHS 2018 puts our Maternal Mortality Rate at 512 maternal death per 100,000 live births, Infant Mortality Rate at 67 deaths per 1000 live births and average Life Expectancy of 54.7 years) despite the huge investments in the health sector by Government and Development Partners. This is attributable to the dearth of Human Resources for Health”.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has raised alarm over 9,000 medical doctors of Nigerian origin brain drain for the purpose of greener pastures in the United Kingdom, United States of America and Canada in two years.
The association lamented the mass emigration of the medical experts between 2016 and 2018, negatively impacted the Nigeria’s health care system that only 4.7% of specialists were left to take care of Nigerians’ health issues.
NMA President, Professor Innocent Ujah, stated this in Abuja, that the high emigration rate of doctors of Nigerian extraction to foreign nations is alarming and unacceptable.
Ujah who spoke at the NMA’s maiden annual lecture with a theme: “Brain Drain and Medical Tourism: The Twin Evil in Nigeria’s Health System”, also said over $1 billion was being spent yearly by Nigerians on medical tourism.
Regretting that the development was negatively impacting the nation’s health system, Prof. Ujah, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of Federal University of Medical Science, Otukpo, said Africa, including Nigeria, was encountering a health workforce crisis.
Noting that human resources for health, which according to him, represented “one of the six pillars of a strong and efficient health system”, was critical to the improvement the health system, the professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, said a huge amount Nigerians were injecting into medical tourism was weakening Nigeria’s economy.
The impact of the development on the economy, he said was a reduction of funding and investment in the health sector, widening infrastructural deficits and the growing distrust in the Nigerian health system by the Nigerian public.
“According to the World Health Organization (WHO), sub-Saharan Africa has about 3 per cent of the world’s health workers while it accounts for 24 per cent of the global burden of disease. Nigeria has a doctor-to-population ratio of about 1: 4000-5000 which falls far short of the WHO recommended doctor-to-population ratio of 1:600. Nigeria is still grappling with disturbingly poor health indices,” he said.
According to him, “The Nigerian health sector today groans under the devastating impact of huge human capital flight which now manifests as brain drain.”
The theme of the lecture, he noted, was apt, adding, “The twin monster of brain drain and medical tourism seems to have a bi-directional relationship, which implies that one will lead to the other and vice-versa.”
“It is because of the devastating consequences of this twin evil on the health system efficiency and effectiveness and the urgent need for solutions and action that inspired the theme for this maiden NMA Annual Lecture tagged, Brain Drain and Medical Tourism: The Twin evil in Nigeria’s Health System.
“The burning desire of NMA to proactively confront the many challenges of healthcare delivery in Nigeria must be sustained using evidence-based constructive engagement, high-level advocacy and understanding to achieve quality healthcare for our people so as to reduce the unacceptably high morbidity and mortality.
“This national discourse on brain drain and medical tourism is, therefore, inevitable at this time and it is only right, just and appropriate for Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to take the lead, being the leader of the health team”, he further said.
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has committed 450 million Naira to the development of a COVID-19 candidate vaccine in the next 18 months.
Each year, however, more than $500 million is necessary for concrete economic research.
Prof. Poopola Mustapha, Nigerian Project Manager of the COVID-19 Research Coalition (NCRC), said at a colloquium organized by the coalition yesterday in Abuja that about $500 million was needed for research and development in the health sector, and that the African Union (AU) proposal “is that countries should set aside one percent of their GDP as a contribution for research and development” (R&D).
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has pledged 450 million Naira to the cause of developing a COVID-19 candidate vaccine within the next 18 months.
However, over $500 million is required each year for concrete economic research.
Nigerian Project Manager Prof. Poopola Mustapha, of the COVID-19 Research Coalition (NCRC), stated this at a colloquium organized by the coalition yesterday in Abuja, hinted that about $500 million was required for research and development in the health sector, and that the African Union (AU) proposal “is that countries should set aside one percent of their GDP as a contribution for research and development” (R&D).
According to him: “Our National GDP is $500 billion and one per cent of this is $5 billion. Presently, the highest grant portfolio for research is around $20 million. The health sector is in the requirement of nothing less than $500 million yearly to have concrete research that could be of impact on the economy.
“For the first time in the country, TETFund is capitalising on research and development that has an interface between the government, private sector and the academia, and we are actually focusing on the people.
“TETFund used to concentrate on funding for research and development only in the tertiary education sector, but for the first time, it brought together five institutions that are having real-time business in terms of the development of vaccines in the country, using the COVID-19 model.
“The institutions involved include the National Veterinary Research Institute (NDRI), Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto; the University of Jos and the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), as “we are looking at the reagents component of what is needed so that it can be produced locally”, he explained.
Speaking also at the event, the Coordinator of NCRC, Dr. Chinwe Ochu, while advocating for domestic funding for the pandemic and other health research in the country said that her organisation was set up to conduct COVID-19 research, but regretted the absence of dedicated funding.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has announced plans to commence construction of a 5.76-kilometer rail track in the territory through its Transportation Secretariat.
The overall cost of beginning on the building of 5.76 kilometers of rail track, as permitted, is 272 million dollars, according to the report.
The bill for the construction of the 5.76 kilometers rail track was before the FCTA Permanent Secretary on it way to the FCT Minister’s table.
The Mandate Secretary, Alhaji Zakari Dobi, inspected the vandalized Abuja Light Rail Track, Station, and Idu Training Centre on Monday in Abuja.
He stated that the secretariat is working tirelessly to return to the construction site for the 5.76-kilometer and fixing of the vandalize areas of the track.
He expressed optimism that the minister who has so much concern about the Abuja Light Rail would quickly return the file.
According to him, ” Two things informed this outing. Firstly, to be able to again evaluate and asses the level of vandalisation on the track.
” Secondly, to also look at the Training Centre at Idu Rail Station with a view to be able to relocate some Departments of the Federal Capital Territory Administration Transportation Secretariat due to challenges of office spaces in Area 11.
” What we saw was quite bad even though when I assumed office I have been briefed about the issue of vandalisation.
” We have intention to go back to site for the construction of 5.76 kilometers rail track in Abuja. The cost of the construction of also contain fixing of the vandalized areas.
” We have seen some of the fresh areas that were vandalize and I want to believe that the projection made earlier on fixing the vandalize area will still accommodate what we saw.”
He said that the vandalisation occured as a result of lack of operation, adding that if operation was on constantly it would reduce the level of vandalisation.
He, however, assured that the FCTA would fix all the vandalize area to ensure proper utilisation of the already completed areas with the four Diesel Multiple Units on ground to put an end to vandalisation.
” We are going to look at issues to see if we can come up with possible ways on how to stop the vandalisation completely but I do know that the first thing to do is to resume operation.”
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has announced that violators of traffic laws will now be subjected to a three-day mandatory training.
Dr. Abdulateef Bello, the Director of the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), revealed on Monday that violators will be punished by a Mobile Court before getting the automobiles.
Within two weeks of offensive operations, 152 automobiles, 326 motorbikes, and 15 tricycles were detained at various sites, according to Bello.
According to DRTS boss, ” The operations have been about getting rickety vehicles out of town and also ensuring that Okadas are kept out of restricted areas.
” So far we have taken off the streets about 152 motor vehicles, 326 Motorcycles, 15 Tricycles and about 22 dispatch.
” They are going to be made to face the law as quickly as possible, before they face the mobile court, three days training compulsorily to acquaint themselves with the rules and regulations in using our roads. They have to pay for the training and also pay their fines . They have to understand the road culture “, he added.
Similarly, the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to FCT Minister, Conrade Ikharo Attah who led the enforcement team, said work of sanitising the city has become very taxing that all relevant agencies need to forge a collaborative partnership.
He further stated that the on going onslaught against traffic offenders and other criminalities in Abuja , was a resolve of FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello to maintain the standards required of a model City.
He stated that the Enforcement through Area 1, Apo Bridge, Lugbe-Airport and Gishiri Junction, was an energized exercise that will be sustained.
His words, ” The Central focus of the work today is largely traffic. We went round to purge the City of rickety vehicles and illegal motor parks.
” The City has reached a point where work as separate component. All the relevant agencies are here collaborating to get the job done”.
With effect from today, April 4th, 2022, the Federal Government has ordered all telcommunications companies to prohibit outgoing calls on unlinked lines.
Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and Mr. Kayode Adegoke, Head, Corporate Communications, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), said in a joint statement on Monday that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the policy’s implementation with effect from April 4, 2022.
The statement reads: “Consequently, the Federal Government has directed all Telcos to strictly enforce the Policy on all SIMs issued (existing and new) in Nigeria.
“Outgoing calls will subsequently be barred for telephone lines that have not complied with the NIN-SIM linkage Policy from the 4th of April, 2022.
“Subscribers of such lines are hereby advised to link their SIMs to their NINs before the Telcos can lift the restriction on their lines.
“Affected individuals are hereby advised to register for their NINs at designated centers and thereafter link the NINs to their SIMs through the channels provided by NIMC and the Telcos, including the NIMC mobile App,” according to the statement.
The statement further commended Nigerians and Legal Residents for their support during the exercise to link the National Identification Number (NIN) to the Subscriber Identification Module (SIM).
“On behalf of the Federal Government, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has commended Nigerians and Legal Residents for their support during the exercise to link the National Identification Number (NIN) to the Subscriber Identification Module (SIM).
“As of date, over 125 Million SIMs have had their NINs submitted for immediate linkage, verification and authentication. Similarly, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has issued over 78 Million unique NINs till date.
It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, gave the directive for the implementation and commencement of the exercise in December 2020, as part of the administration’s security and social policies.
The deadlines for the NIN-SIM linkage has been extended on multiple occasions to allow Nigerians to freely comply with the Policy.
The statement explained that the Federal Government also took into consideration the passionate appeals by several bodies- Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Civil Societies, Professional Bodies and a host of others – for the extension of the deadlines in the past.
“Accordingly, Mr. President graciously approved the many requests to extend deadlines for the NIN-SIM linkage.
“At this point however, Government has determined that the NIN-SIM Policy implementation can proceed, as machinery has already been put in place to ensure compliance by citizens and legal residents.
“The implementation impacts on Government’s strategic planning, particularly in the areas of security and socio-economic projections.
“Professor Pantami specially appreciates President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) for his tremendous support.
“He also commends the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Dambatta, the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Aliyu Abubakar Aziz along with their Management and Staff, as well as other notable bodies whose efforts have seen to the monumental success of the exercise.
“The Minister also extends his thanks to the telecommunication operators for their support towards the success recorded.
“The Minister also emphasized that enrolment for the NIN is a continuous exercise and NIN is a precondition for service in Telcos, banks, Nigerian Immigration Service, and for several other government services,” the statement explained.
The statement therefore, urged Nigerians and legal residents to visit NIN registration centres for the enrollment and issuance of valid NINs.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Ministerial Taskforce Team on City Sanitation destroyed a miscreants and scavengers’ camp at Nyanya, on the outskirts of Abuja.
The tents were dismantled due to several insecurity issues in the area, according to Kaka Bello, the Head, Monitoring and Enforcement, Abuja Environmental Protection Board, who led the demolition squad on Thursday.
He added that the experiment was driven by the need to maintain sanity in the federal capital territory, particularly in the suburbs.
The scavengers were warned to vacate the area a few weeks ago, but they disobeyed the orders, he claims.
Bello, who described the area as a scavenger colony, noted that despite the FCT’s best efforts, the situation has not improved as hoodlums still muster courage to stay.
He, however, regretted the continued illegal activities of the scavengers in most of the suburbs and warned them to steer clear of areas that are not allocated to them.
Bello, therefore, called on some of the residents liaising with scavengers to desist from it, as the situation will give them more courage.
“The exercise is about city cleaning and sanitation, this is a colony of scavengers which we have removed several times, but they still return.
“Weeks ago we came here to tell them the need to vacate this area, or else we will come and carry out an enforcement, and unfortunately while some of them comply others refused to comply, but we won’t be discouraged by the miscreants and scavengers refusal to heed to the taskforce team orders” Bello said.
Nigerians’ health, according to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), is sacred and cannot be traded for a bowl of porridge.
While adding that,”Previously, if we wanted to go for an inspection, the company we were inspecting would bring us vehicles, which may endanger the inspection report.”
Adeyeye made the remark during the official introduction of 73 operational cars in Abuja on Thursday, with the goal of improving efficiency and effectiveness.
According to her, ” We don’t want to compromise the health of the citizenry that is why we put money together to procure 73 vehicles. Since my assumption of office , we have been able to procure 143 vehicles to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of our staff.
“We are here to launch one of the tools that earn us Maturity Level Three Regulatory Agency by the World Health Organization (WHO).
“We cannot overemphasized the tools that a regulatory agency needs. You cannot take Okada to go and inspect a place. Before now, we have several seaports in Lagos. Sometimes, our staff will need to go to another port in Tin Can and they take Okada to go there quickly aside from the traffic. We need tools to also ensure safety of our staff. If we are going to shut a company down and you went there with a rickety vehicle and unfortunately, it’s breaks down on the road , if they are mad at us they will over power us.
“We need very dependable tools and vehicles is one of them . 73 vehicles, 40 Hilux, 20 Camry , 6 Hiace and 4 Coaster buses.”, She explained.
Meanwhile, the Chairman , NAFDAC Governing Board, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman said , “Ours is a regulatory agency and the staff needs to be taken care of so that they won’t compromise.
Represented at the occasion by Mr Mufutau Bolaji Yahaya said they have commence the construction of seven new state offices, four is ready for commissioning .
According to him, ” The job the staff does is dangerous, they may have to lock up companies and shops , it is not healthy for them to join public transport because they can easily be identified, hense the need for the vehicles.”
On Thursday, a popular market in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) known as Karimo was destroyed by a fire that broke out early in the morning.
According to our source, the exact cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
One of the traders, who did not want to be identified, informed our correspondent that the fire started in one shop and spread to the others.
According to reports, this is the fourth time the Karimo market has been destroyed by fire.
According to him, “Traders have started counting their losses and salvaging what was left of their goods”.
He said goods worth millions of naira were destroyed by the fire.
Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at about 12.28am, today, received a distress call from the National Emergency Call Centre ,112 notifying the Agency of a fire outbreak at Karimo Market located in a community in Abuja Municipal Area Council of the FCT.
According to a statement by FEMA PRO, Nkechi Isa, the Director General of FEMA, Alhaji Abbas Idriss stated that the Agency immediately activated the FCT Fire Service, Federal Fire Service and NEMA to join it’s response team.
On noticing that the fire was spreading, FEMA requested additional fire stations from the Mutual Fire Service institutions. With the support of military, the Nigeria Police Force DSS, FRSC and other Security Agency’s combined efforts, the fire was brought under control at about 4.41am.
Idriss commended the search and rescue team of FEMA,shop owners , security agencies, community leaders and the people of Karimo for efforts to salvage some goods and properties from the inferno. The DG informed that there were no casaulities during the incident, but goods worth millions of naira were destroyed.
According to Idriss, the loss and accesors team of FEMA ,NEMA,Traders Associations ,Area Council Local Emergency Management Committee as well as security agencies are on the field to get an estimated value of losses incurred by the traders He further stated that FEMA was working with all relevant agencies to ascetain the proximate cause of the fire and would forward a full report to the administration after the investigations.
He commiserated with traders affected by the inferno on behalf of the Hon Minister of the FCT and his counterpart, the minister of State.
The FEMA boss reiterates the call for the segmentation of markets in the FCT, while also appealing to traders not to reside in markets. The traders are also caution not to cook in the market and where there is electricity, all appliances should be put off to avoid a repeat of such inferno.
