The Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, on Monday recommended death sentence for fake drug peddlers.

Obiano made the recommendation during the presentation ceremony of ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation certificate to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, South-East zonal Laboratory at Agulu, Anambra State by the United States Pharmacopeia Convention.

He described the activities of fake drug peddlers as evil.

“It’s the worst criminal act to humanity. Fake drug is the worst crime anybody can commit. There is no need jailing such people; they should be killed”, the governor stated.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Nkem Okeke, said the state was making efforts to partner the Federal Government to check the influx of fake drugs into the Onitsha Bridgehead market.

The governor said that to prevent the people of the state from falling prey to fake drug sellers, a health insurance scheme was being put in place to treat the people centrally.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, in his comment, paid tribute to the former Director- General of the NAFDAC, the late Prof. Dora Akunyili, for her achievement.

The minister also praised the husband of the late NAFDAC DG, Dr. Chike Akunyili, for encouraging his late wife to serve the country at various capacities.

He said, “I would want to recognise the presence of the husband of the late Prof. Akunyili. Today is a day for celebration for you. Akunyili’s name is immortal. Posterity will ever be grateful to her for what she did in this agency and for the country.”

The minister asked NAFDAC to continue to maintain standard that earned it the international certification.

He told the agency that it was easier to get the accreditation of the International Organisation for Standardisation/ International Electro-technical than to sustain it.

The minister assured manufacturers of pharmaceutical products in the country of government’s encouragement through favourable policies, especially in taxation.

In her welcome address, the Acting Director-General of NAFDAC, Mrs. Yetunde Oni, noted that the process for the accreditation of the agency’s south-east zonal laboratory started in 2015 with assessment of facilities and personnel by a team of experts from the United States Pharmacopeia.

She said the accreditation, ”implies that the laboratory can undertake the testing of all classes of pharmaceutical products and raw materials .”

Punchng