Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Nigerian Army has pledged to cooperate with National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), to rid the entire South-East of fake and unwholesome drugs, food and cosmetics.
Maj.-Gen. Oluyemi Olatoye, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, gave the assurance on Tuesday in Enugu when he received NAFDAC team led by its Director South-East, Dr Martins Iluyomade, in his office on a courtesy call.
Olatoye commended NAFDAC for joining in the security of lives as it partained to safe guarding the water, food and other consumables Nigerians use daily.
“As directed by Nigerian Army Headquarters, we will continue to give you maximum security and even partner to do more.
“Whenever you need us, reach out and we will surely be there to see that you carry out your mandate hitch-free and unhindered.
“We also solicit that you share confidential security information with us to nip other forms of criminality in the bud since you live among the people and interact with them daily,” he said.
The GOC also solicited NAFDAC’s help in sanitising the Mammy Markets in all baracks within the Area of Responsibility of the Division.
He said that there were suspicions that some traders within the markets were using the guise of selling in barracks to sell fake, expired and unwholesome products to members of barrack communities.
“We want a serious partnership to rid our Mammy Markets of activities of unscrupulous traders and their collaborators.
“We are requesting an enforcement activities within our barracks and we are ready anytime you are ready for it,” he said.
Earlier, Iluyomade said that NAFDAC came to the GOC’s offfice to “say thank you to the Nigerian Army for supporting us in the recent enforcement operations in major drug markets in South-East.”
The NAFDAC director noted that fake, expired and unwholesome drugs worth over N1 trillion were seized and destroyed to safe-guard health of Nigerians especially residents of South-East in that coordinated enforcement.
“We are here to say thank you. The success of that coordinated enforcement operations is because the Nigerian Army remained on ground to the last minute of the enforcement operations.
“We seek for great cooperation and partnership as we carry out further pursuit of our mandate anywhere and anytime within the South-East,” he said.
On the need to sanitise Mammy Markets, the director noted that the agency would first carry out sensitisation workshop for traders in Mammy Markets as well as officers and men in various barracks.
“This is to ensure that the people are aware of what constitutes fake, expired and wholesome drugs, water, edibles and cosmetics products and join NAFDAC to monitor activities in their markets, malls and shops within each barrack,” he added.
