By Peter Dansu The Chief Executive Officer of Bioclinix Medical Diagnostics Centre, Badagry, Olatunde Isaac, has appealed to President Bola...
By Peter Dansu
The Chief Executive Officer of Bioclinix Medical Diagnostics Centre, Badagry, Olatunde Isaac, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to appoint him as the next Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC.
According TVC report, Isaac, a former NAFDAC employee who spent nearly a decade serving with the regulatory agency, made the appeal in a post on X, citing his professional experience and involvement in the fight against counterfeit and substandard medicines as well as unsafe food products.
The medical diagnostics entrepreneur was also a member of the National Food Regulations Drafting Committee and a recipient of the NAFDAC Director-General’s Merit Award in 2022.
According to him, his years of service at NAFDAC gave him first hand experience of the challenges confronting the agency and the broader regulatory system, particularly in tackling fake and substandard medicines and unsafe food products.
“I have served at NAFDAC for nearly a decade and dedicated years of my career to the fight against counterfeit and substandard medicines and unsafe food products,” Isaac said.
He explained that his contributions to the campaign against fake medicines and unsafe food products earned him the NAFDAC Director-General’s Merit Award in recognition of his work.
“My work in this area earned me the NAFDAC Director-General’s Merit Award in recognition of my contribution to the fight against fake food and drugs,” he said.
Isaac stressed that his appeal to President Tinubu was not motivated by a desire for personal favour, but by what he described as his experience, competence and commitment to the national interest.
“Mr. President, I am not asking for a favour. I am offering competence, experience and a proven commitment to the national interest,” he said.
He promised that if given the opportunity to lead the agency, he would intensify the fight against counterfeit medicines, substandard pharmaceutical products and unsafe regulated foods across the country.
“Make me the Director-General of NAFDAC, give me the mandate and the institutional backing, and I will take the fight against counterfeit medicines and unsafe foods to an entirely different level,” Isaac said.
He further proposed an ambitious target of achieving at least a 60 per cent reduction in the circulation of counterfeit and substandard medicines and unsafe regulated products within his first six months in office.
“Within the first six months, I will target a minimum 60% reduction in the circulation of counterfeit and substandard medicines and unsafe regulated products, with the ultimate objective of driving the menace to the barest minimum within one year,” he said.
The call comes days after NAFDAC clarified that it does not have direct regulatory oversight over certain unbranded and unpackaged staple foods, including palm oil and fufu, sold in open markets.
Isaac’s position appears to underscore the need for stronger regulatory interventions and broader strategies to address food and drug safety challenges in the country.
He argued that Nigeria has professionals with the requisite knowledge and experience to tackle the challenges confronting its regulatory institutions, urging the government to place competent individuals in strategic positions.
“Nigeria does not lack capable professionals. Sometimes, what is needed is simply the courage to put the right person in the right place,” he said.
Isaac concluded his appeal by asking President Tinubu to give him the mandate and institutional backing to implement his proposed agenda at NAFDAC.
“Give me the mandate. Give me the tools. I will deliver.
“Nigeria deserves a stronger, more effective war against fake drugs and unsafe foods,” he said.
Source: TVC
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