The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has secured no fewer than eight convictions of drug offenders from February, this year, to-date.
The acting Director-General of the agency, Mrs. Yetunde Oni, disclosed this in Sokoto on Wednesday.
Oni also stated that 52 other drugs suspects were being prosecuted in various law courts across the country.
She asserted that the Federal Ministry of Justice was taking the right steps to ensure the speedy prosecution of the suspects.
Oni appealed for more funds to make the agency more effective and efficient, saying that their staffs were vibrant, robust and productive.
According to the NAFDAC boss:“We need more funds to provide more vehicles and equipment for our laboratories and other needed logistics”.
“The Nigerian drugs manufacturing processes should be improved and encouraged to produce quality products, to reduce importation.
“Nigeria should be a producing nation, rather than being a heavily consuming nation.”
Oni further urged Nigerians to key into the change agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari, hence we need to always learn do the right things.
She lamented that drug abuse has become a common and very serious public health issue, especially among the youth.
Gov. Aminu Tambuwal, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Bashir Garba, stated that the state government had set up a high-powered, inter-agency task force to curb the menace of illicit drugs and other unwholesome substances.
“Drug abuse has now regrettably extended even to matrimonial homes, with some couples being drug abusers.
“The state government will support the agency and its sister agencies, to curb the menace.
“Gov. Tambuwal is equally concerned with the menace and is determined to do everything humanly possible to counter it,” he said.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, represented by the District Head of Hamma’ali, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar, commended the agency for organizing the event.
Abubakar pledged the support of the Sultanate Council to ensure that the menace was eradicated or drastically reduced.