₦airaland Forum

EXPOSING THE FALSE NARRATIVE AND SPONSORED AGENDA AGAINST NAFDAC

Festus Ogun

It is appalling that certain writers, masquerading as objective commentators, have taken it upon themselves to mislead the public with sensationalized half-truths and outright falsehoods about NAFDAC’s regulatory actions. The latest article, “NAFDAC’s Crackdown: The Thin Line Between Fighting Fake Drugs and Destroying Legitimate Businesses,” is a textbook example of a sponsored propaganda piece designed to undermine a critical national effort to rid Nigeria of counterfeit and substandard drugs.

The writer, in his desperate attempt to paint NAFDAC as an enemy of the pharmaceutical industry, conveniently ignores the simple reality: fake and substandard drugs are killing Nigerians every single day. The deaths of innocent people, children, pregnant women, and the sick, mean nothing to him, so long as his paymasters can continue their illicit trade under the guise of “legitimate businesses.” The audacity to spin a narrative that protects criminals at the expense of public health is both shameful and reckless.

NAFDAC’s recent crackdown is not a blind attack on businesses; it is a necessary intervention to sanitize an industry plagued by life-threatening counterfeits. The claim that 11,000 shops have been “indiscriminately” shut down is not only false but a deliberate distortion of the truth. The agency did not simply wake up one morning and close businesses without due cause. These shops were identified after thorough investigations revealed their involvement in the sale and distribution of fake drugs. It is laughable that the writer questions the figure when every Nigerian knows the proliferation of counterfeit drugs has reached an alarming level.

If these so-called “legitimate traders” were truly operating above board, why are they afraid of regulation? Why do they resist compliance measures meant to ensure the safety of medicines? The simple answer is that many of them thrive in the loopholes of an unregulated system, profiting from a chaotic market where fake drugs circulate freely. The crackdown is, therefore, not a witch-hunt; it is a much-needed housecleaning.

The writer tries to shift the blame to the government, citing the lack of Coordinated Wholesale Centres (CWCs) as the reason counterfeit drugs still flood the market. While it is true that regulatory frameworks can be improved, it is outright deceptive to suggest that, in the absence of CWCs, NAFDAC should turn a blind eye to the criminals endangering lives. Regulatory gaps do not justify lawlessness. The presence of counterfeit drugs is not merely a failure of infrastructure; it is the direct result of individuals and groups choosing to break the law.

It is also amusing that the writer suddenly remembers the importance of CWCs now that criminals are facing consequences. Where was this concern when the same unscrupulous traders resisted structured reforms? Where was this concern when drug markets became havens for fake and expired medicines? This hypocrisy exposes the real intent behind the article: to shield those who profit from a broken system while attacking the agency cleaning up the mess.

Another absurd claim in the article is that NAFDAC’s actions are “destroying livelihoods.” This argument is nothing more than emotional blackmail. What about the thousands of families who have lost loved ones due to fake drugs? What about the economic devastation caused by counterfeit medicines that fail to treat ailments, leading to longer hospital stays, lost productivity, and unnecessary deaths? If a business’s existence depends on poisoning Nigerians with substandard drugs, then it deserves to be shut down.

NAFDAC’s primary duty is to protect public health, not to safeguard the profits of traders who operate outside the law. The agency remains committed to regulatory reforms that balance enforcement with economic considerations, but no genuine business should fear compliance. Only those with skeletons in their cupboards are crying foul.

This article is not a neutral critique; it is a poorly disguised defense of individuals and entities whose business model thrives on regulatory loopholes. The writer, likely bankrolled by vested interests, has chosen to ignore the human cost of fake drugs and instead focus on defending an industry that, for too long, has operated in the shadows of illegality.

NAFDAC will not be deterred by blackmail, media propaganda, or paid agents of counterfeit drug barons. The crackdown will continue until Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry is free from criminal elements. Those who genuinely operate within the law have nothing to fear. But for those who have profited from the suffering of Nigerians, your time is up.

Correspondence to Festogu12@gmail.com

Their Agenda is dead on Arrival. Nobody takes those criminals up East serious anymore.

Mr NAFDAC sir, we commend your fight against fake drugs in Nigeria but I have few questions for you sir.(1) Those fake drugs that carried from these fake merchants and you took them to your office.did you take them to your office for purification or to be sold back to the same Nigerians that you pretend to be protecting sir. During Prof Dora, all the products are burnt in the public domain .
(2) The service charge of #2m that you are demanding from these fake merchants and innocent and legitimate pharmaceutical dealers , how does this financial gratification justify your sincerity in the fight against these merchants ? If a criminal has to pay you a charge to continue in business, that means you are a shareholder to the crime. I will advice you go and open shops for the innocent once while you should punish only defaulters because you are indirectly killing many Nigerians that you claim to be protecting through scarcity of medicines in the major retail outlets .

Victordechemist:
Mr NAFDAC sir, we commend your fight against fake drugs in Nigeria but I have few questions for you sir.(1) Those fake drugs that carried from these fake merchants and you took them to your office.did you take them to your office for purification or to be sold back to the same Nigerians that you pretend to be protecting sir. During Prof Dora, all the products are burnt in the public domain .
(2) The service charge of #2m that you are demanding from these fake merchants and innocent and legitimate pharmaceutical dealers , how does this financial gratification justify your sincerity in the fight against these merchants ? If a criminal has to pay you a charge to continue in business, that means you are a shareholder to the crime. I will advice you go and open shops for the innocent once while you should punish only defaulters because you are indirectly killing many Nigerians that you claim to be protecting through scarcity of medicines in the major retail outlets .

The most foolish and most senseless post ever to be posted on the internet since it's creation