The way and manner this government reacts to issues will leave one with no choice but to conclude that our govt officials and head of Agencies such as NAFDAC are always high on “Sweet Sweet Codeine”.
Zero common sense.
Zero strategy.
Just an overdose of vengeful mumuidon. Nothing more.
What is the justification for closing down Emzor pharmaceutical and two others over a regulatory issue that the management of the companies are yet to be found guilty of???
I mean, it’s not like Emzor and Co were involved in the production and sale of banned or unlicensed pharmaceutical products. Codeine as a pharmaceutical product was duly licensed by the relevant agency. Just that the sale must be by Doctor’s prescription. In this case, an Emzor staff member was caught selling the drug without doctor’s prescription. This is nothing but a violation of regulation on the sale of the drug. Emzor has since sacked the affected staff and made it clear in a statement that he acted without the permission of the company. The govt says it is investigating the whole thing but the same govt has rushed down to close down the whole Emzor production company as well as that of the other two affected companies even before concluding it’s investigation.
Why does the govt need to close down three pharmaceutical companies just so it could investigate a regulatory issue??
How does the action of a rogue Emzor staff who has since been fired justify closing down an indigenous company that is involved in number-less lines of production???
Who closes down a whole company producing so many licensed products just because there is a potential regulatory breach in just one of the production lines of that company???
Why is this govt so vengeful?????
This is why I keep insisting that Nnamdi Kanu was grievously wrong in describing Nigeria as a Zoo. This Lugard Cage is simply indescribable.
As long as you are yet to establish that the management of the Company was complicit in the illegal sale of the Codeine syrup, you have no legal right to punish the company.
EVEN IN THE EVENT THAT YOU FIND THE COMPANY MANAGEMENT CULPABLE , you cannot still close down the entire company because
1. The company was not found guilty of producing or selling unlicensed or illegal products which would have been a straight-forward criminal act. Codeine production and sale was licensed and legal. It was only regulated. So what the company broke is regulation rule for the very first time. The punishment here is fine at best or closing down of the affected production line at worst. In which case, Emzor and Co will be banned from producing and selling Codeine syrup but they will still be allowed to keep producing other duly licensed pharmaceutical products.
A regulatory Agency does not just walk into a company duly licensed by the govt and close down the whole facility over regulatory breach in just one of the company’s production lines when it is not even clear the company management authored the unethical act.
There are processes and procedures guiding everything. But here, everything is done with a vengeful intent.
Tragedy is, this country has actually done a whole lot of irreversible damage to the psyche of the people therein. We now invent silly excuses to justify every action of the govt no matter how moronic such an action may seem or sound.
How does this even address the drug addiction problem in the North??
Will the govt equally ban Gum, super glue, petrol and toilet pit that these Northern guys sniff for highness purposes?? Will they also ban Tramadol?
Drug problem in Northern Nigeria requires much more than a knee-jerk vengeful reaction to confront.
Something is pushing these guys into the open arms of drug and other highness materials. The govt as well as Northern leaders can choose to have an honest conversation on this issue or they can keep fooling themselves.
