National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is demanding an immediate retraction and public apology from Africa Independent Television (AIT) over a recent report.
During the broadcast AIT claimed that NAFDAC’s Director-General, Moji Adeyeye, accused the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) of being involved in counterfeit drug distribution.
According to NAFDAC, the report was a gross misrepresentation of Adeyeye’s statements during a March 1 press conference where she detailed legal, regulatory and historical perspective on the roles of the two organisations (NAFDAC & PCN) in ensuring safety of pharmaceuticals and the challenges that arose due to past regulatory inconsistencies.
NAFDAC emphasised that at no point did Adeyeye accuse PCN of complicity in the circulation of fake medications.
“It is imperative to note that the DG-NAFDAC’s remarks highlighted the complementary roles of NAFDAC and PCN in safeguarding public health. The DG-NAFDAC specifically addressed the issue of Patent and Proprietary Medicines Vendors (PPMVs), whose regulation, over time, became a challenge due to fragmented oversight and subsequent litigation. At no point was PCN accused of complicity in the circulation of fake medications.
“In this light, NAFDAC aligns fully with the position of the PCN, as articulated in their official response and vehemently condemns he misrepresentation of the Director General’s statement during the press conference in question.
“The erroneous headline published by AIT was a distortion and falsification of the facts. It was misleading and could undermine the collaborative efforts of NAFDAC and PCN in ensuring pharmaceutical safety and regulatory compliance.
The agency demanded
An immediate public retraction of the misleading report
A public apology, broadcast at the same level of prominence as the original report
A commitment to ensure accurate and factual reporting in the future coverage of NAFDAC’s activities
“…failure to do so will compel the Agency to escalate this matter through appropriate regulatory and legal channels.”
