The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Monday destroyed unwholesome goods in the South East zone worth about N1.32 billion.

The items, which were generated from five states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo, included drugs, cosmetics, beverages and other regulated products.

Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General General of the agency, said the destroyed goods were expired, substandard, counterfeited and banned items which were voluntarily surrendered, seized and ordered for destruction by the courts.

Adeyeye, who was represented by Mr Kingsley Ejiofor, the Director Investigation and Enforcement at NAFDAC, said that 80 per cent of the destroyed items were drug related products.

She said NAFDAC had zero tolerance for counterfeit products as they posed serious danger to public and individual health and encouraged Nigerians to report cases of suspected unwholesome products for appropriate action.

“The cost of what is being destroyed is valued at about N1.32 billion and 80 per cent is drugs, others are cosmetics and other regulated products.

“Imagine if these products are in circulation, consider what it will mean to public health; that is why we are encouraging people to report cases of counterfeited, expired and suspected unwholesome products to NAFDAC,” he said.

Mrs Olajumoke Ojetokun, the Enugu Zonal Coordinator of NAFDAC, commended the agency’s stakeholders for the success of the exercise.

Ojetokun said that NAFDAC warehouses and offices in the zone were filled with such unwholesome products because of the positive disposition of its stakeholders to its sanitisation efforts.

She said the agency was determined to ensure that the entire South East markets for all NAFDAC regulated product were free of expired, counterfeited, banned and unwholesome products.

On his part, Mr Obianika Okafor, the General Manager of E.I. Ejison, one of the stakeholders who voluntarily surrendered its product to NAFDAC, said it was important to also prosecute offenders after seizures.

Okafor said the company observed a production error in a batch of one of its products, recalled it and called on NAFDAC for handover and destruction.

He, however, urged producers and importers to ensure that their products fulfilled all quality and certification processes to avoid the colossal economic loss related to seizures and destruction by the regulatory body. (NAN)