Codeine saga: Senator Sani kicks against Emzor closure

Kaduna Central District Senator Shehu Sani has kicked against the closure of Emzor pharmaceutical company by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

TheNewsGuru reports Emzor and two other pharmaceutical companies were shutdown by NAFDAC after being implicated in a BBC investigation on illegal manufacturing and distribution of codeine-containing syrup.

In a statement by NAFDAC, Peace Standard Pharmaceutical Limited, Bioraj Pharmaceutical Limited and Emzor were shut for apparent resistance to provide needed documents during the organisation’s inspection in Ilorin and Lagos on May 2.

“Earlier on April 30, 2018, a day before the BBC documentary was aired, having seen the preview, Mojisola Adeyeye, the director general, had a meeting with technical directors of NAFDAC. She outlined the steps to be taken to strengthen the weakness in the control of the manufacturing and distribution of codeine-containing medicines as demonstrated in the documentary.

“One of the recommendations of the meeting was that NAFDAC should immediately deploy officers from its inspection and enforcement directorate (I&E) to inspect the alleged companies.

“A team of nine NAFDAC officers and ten mobile police officers were sent to Ilorin on May 2, 2018 to carry out investigational inspection at the companies of the two different pharmaceutical companies that are licensed to manufacture codeine-containing syrup, and which were implicated in the BBC documentary.

“The same investigational inspection by a different NAFDAC team took place on the same day and time as the Ilorin companies at the manufacturing facility of Emzor Pharmaceuticals Industry Limited, Ajao Estate, Lagos.

“The focus of the assignment was to access and monitor from records the utilization, sales and effective distribution of the codeine containing cough syrups to the end users,” that statement read.

“The shutdown of Emzor and the two other pharmaceutical companies by NAFDAC is an overkill,” Sani said, stressing that “Issues of violations if actually true, can be penalized with proportionate sanctions”.

According to Sani, “Such reputable companies doing legitimate business and employing thousands of Nigerians must not be ruined”.

Meanwhile, Emzor, on Tuesday insisted that only one production site of its firm was shut, contrary to claims that the entire company was shut.

In a series of tweets on its Twitter handle, Emzor said NAFDAC only sealed its liquid line. It said the rest of its manufacturing operation was going on normally.

The firm said NAFDAC sealed the line five days after carrying out an inspection on the site. It added that the regulator raised no issues at the time of the inspection, only for it to return later to close the line without explanation.

The tweet was in reaction to a press statement from NAFDAC that it has sealed off all the production lines of three pharmaceutical companies which were implicated in a BBC documentary on illegal codeine sale in Nigeria.

“Due to insufficient evidence gathered and apparent resistance to provide needed documents during our inspection on May 2, 2018, at the respective companies in Ilorin and Lagos, respectively, it has become necessary to shut down all the product lines of the three companies – Peace Standard Pharmaceutical Limited, plots 3 & 8, Adewole Industrial Estate, Lubcon Avenue, Ilorin, Kwara State; Bioraj Pharmaceutical Limited, 405 Kaima Road, Ilorin, Kwara State and Emzor Pharmaceuticals Ind. Ltd., Ajao Estate, Lagos. This is to allow for a full and comprehensive investigation. The three companies, therefore, remain closed,” the regulator said.

Emzor, however, denied the claim. The company’s statement reads:

“NAFDAC have only temporarily sealed one of Emzor’s production sites, the liquid line. The rest of Emzor is still operating as normal. On Wednesday the 2nd of May NAFDAC inspected one of our production sites where Emzolyn with Codeine was made. There were given full access and our complete cooperation, with no issues raised at the time.

“On Monday the 7th of May, NAFDAC sealed the inspected site without giving us a reason nor an explanation of what the violation of the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Code was and it will be wrong for us to speculate as to the reason why.

“Emzor continues to make good quality affordable medicines for the Nigerian public and the products are still available to buy. We believe in Emzor Wellocracy, unlimited wellness available to all and affordable by all.”