By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control has alerted healthcare providers and the public about a suspected counterfeit batch of Phesgo 600mg/600mg/10ml injection, labelled with batch number C5290S20

According to NAFDAC, the counterfeit product was flagged after a complaint from a doctor at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.

This was contained in a statement NAFDAC shared on its official X handle on Thursday.

NAFDAC disclosed that a doctor at the hospital reported that the suspected counterfeit drug, brought in by a patient, matched another previously identified counterfeit batch, C3809C51.

NAFDAC stated further that the Marketing Authorisation Holder, Roche, reviewed images of the suspected product and confirmed it as falsified, adding that Roche identified several inconsistencies, including a non-existent batch number, incorrect language, missing tamper-evidence features and mismatched labels compared to genuine products.

The statement reads, “The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) wishes to inform healthcare providers and the public of a report of a suspected counterfeit Phesgo® 600mg/600mg/10ml, labelled with batch C5290S20.

“The Marketing Authorization Holder (MAH) Roche received a complaint from a doctor at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH-NSIA) reporting a suspected counterfeit Phesgo® 600mg/600mg, labelled with batch C5290S20. The product was reported to have been brought in by a patient for administration. It had not been administered at the time of the report, as it matched the previously reported counterfeit batch C3809C51.

“Although no sample was returned to Roche for investigation, only pictures displaying parts of a Phesgo® 600mg/600mg in a 10ml folding box and a labelled vial. Images of the suspected product were examined by Roche and compared to the genuine samples retained for reference. The investigation identified the following significant differences between the complaint sample pictures and the genuine materials which confirmed the falsified status of the suspected counterfeit batch of Phesgo® 600mg/600mg.”

The agency emphasised the risks of counterfeit drugs, warning that they undermine the safety and effectiveness of medicines.

It urged importers, distributors, and healthcare professionals to be vigilant and ensure medical products are sourced from authorised suppliers.

Healthcare providers and consumers were advised to report any suspected counterfeit drugs to NAFDAC via their offices, helpline, or email.

“All NAFDAC zonal directors and state coordinators have been directed to carry out surveillance and mop up the counterfeit products within the zones and states. Importers, distributors, retailers, healthcare professionals and caregivers are hereby advised to exercise caution and vigilance within the supply chain to avoid importing, distributing, selling, and using counterfeit products. All medical products must be obtained from authorized/licensed suppliers.

“The products’ authenticity and physical condition should be carefully checked. Healthcare professionals and consumers are advised to report any suspicion of the sale of substandard and falsified medicines or medical devices to the nearest NAFDAC office, or call NAFDAC on 0800-162-3322 or via email: [email protected].

“Similarly, healthcare professionals and patients are also encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of medicinal products or devices to the nearest NAFDAC office, or through the use of the E-reporting platforms available on the NAFDAC website www.nafdac.gov.ng or via the Med- safety application available for download on android and IOS stores or via e-mail on [email protected], ” it advised

The agency reassured the public that efforts to identify and remove counterfeit products from circulation were ongoing.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, has condemned too much emphasis on hardship and poverty in the country while neglecting gains the economy has recorded.

This Nigeria news platform understands that Felix Morka said President Bola Tinubu’s policies were the right policies that would put the country on the path of progress and prosperity.

In an interview with Arise News on Thursday, Morka condemned the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi‘s comment on poverty and hardship in the country.

He stressed that under successive governments before the APC took over in 2015, Nigeria had the challenge of multi-dimensional poverty.

He pointed out that the President appreciates the challenges. He said over time the gains of the government’s policies would translate into the life of Nigerians.

“The President in his statement was very clear. He did lay out some of the major progress that this administration has attained in the last several months.

“While also acknowledging that there remain challenges to the country, economic challenges, even security challenges at the country. The president is being very balanced and very real with Nigerians. He is not trying to gaslight anyone. He is calling it as it is.

“Now having said that, economics is economics. Economics is not magic.

Macroeconomic gains will in time translate to specific dining table, living room benefits to Nigerians. That is already starting. Now you see, I listened to your previous guest, who was speaking about poverty as though Nigeria has been without poverty since our independence or even before independence.

That is not the case. As of 2012, 2013, 2014, nearly 50% of Nigerians lived in multi-dimensional poverty. I think it is really misleading for anyone, whether it is Mr. Peter Obi or anyone else to come on national television to speak about poverty as though poverty dropped from the sky last night. It didn’t. No one wishes for any citizen to be poor or to live in poverty or to struggle with basic necessities. No one. Not the President, not myself, not any Nigerian, I believe. But unfortunately, that is the human condition.

“Even in some of the wealthiest countries of the world, people struggle and they initiate programs that are aimed to transform the fundamental conditions that create or sustain poverty. That is what this President is doing.

“Now if the richest countries of the world can initiate policies and actually create targets which are monitored over the short, medium and long term for those targets to be achieved, now who says that we mustn’t do that? That once a policy is announced, everything is supposed to completely resolve.

“Now look at the energy sector. We are seeing improvements. Yes, there was that deregulation, that whole removal of subsidy which created initial pain and maybe the pain continues to linger. However, with the reforms that are beginning to now bear fruit, we have local refineries that have been moribund for long periods of time, over decades. But they didn’t function,” he said.

The APC spokesman highlighted the improvement in the energy sector with the coming onstream of Port Harcourt and Warri refineries.

Morka further assured Nigerians that with the refineries coming on stream the high cost of petrol would come down. He said that would also translate to a reduction in the high cost of living.

“Through the significant portion of the PDP administration in this country, these refineries were simply just sitting there. Nothing was going on. Now, it is running. Warri has just started to run. So my point is that the benefits from all of this, in terms of economies of scale, how this then translates to maybe cheaper fuel, we’re already seeing stability.

“This is the first Christmas I know in recent years where we’re not queuing for petrol. That is a benefit. The price has just lowered in the last couple of weeks. That is also a benefit. And over time, competition, when Warri is producing, Port Harcourt is producing, hopefully, Kaduna begins to burn and Dangote is also producing.

“There’s no way that we’re not going to see a progressive decrease in price of petrol to make it easier for people to actually buy fuel and power their machines, whether it’s cars or other forms of machine. But I think that we need to all just take a perspective and understand that these benefits we speak about are beginning to come down in the way it matters,” he added.

The impeached Chairman of Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State, Paul Iyoha, on Friday accused Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, of orchestrating his removal from office.

Iyoha faulted the process leading to his impeachment, noting that neither he nor other local government chairmen in the state were given a fair hearing before being suspended by the Edo State House of Assembly.

He lamented that the council bosses were not properly investigated or given the opportunity to defend themselves.

Iyoha insisted that he had carried out his duties effectively, ensuring prompt payment of salaries and allowances to councillors and staff.

The impeached council chair, who disclosed this to journalists in Benin City, expressed confidence that the judiciary would address the situation fairly while he continued to pursue legal redress.

Continuing, Iyoha said his “sin” was his political allegiance to Dr. Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate in the 2024 elections.

He described his ordeal as driven by political vendetta rather than legitimate governance concerns, adding, “My only offence was standing by my party candidate instead of supporting Governor Okpebholo, who hails from the same ward in Esan Central as myself.

“As a loyal member of the PDP, I was duty-bound to support my party’s candidate. It is not a crime to work for one’s party. However, the governor has taken my political stance personally and is using his office to punish me.”

Iyoha further alleged that the governor openly vowed that he would not be reinstated as chairman, citing a video purportedly showing Iyoha campaigning against him during the election.

“The governor told people that I will never return to my position because I opposed him politically. This is unfair and undemocratic,” he added.

Continuing, Iyoha recounted the challenges he faced during the Edo governorship election, including an attack on his residence, the abduction of his brother, and threats to his safety.

He claimed these actions were part of a broader effort to suppress opposition voices in the state.

Iyoha added, “Despite the tensions, I attended the governor’s inauguration and sent a congratulatory message as a gesture of respect for the office.”

He, however, criticised the administration for politicising governance by involving party figures in official matters.