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Miracle soap, water: NAFDAC probes cleric, seals table water firm for illegal activity

Published

3 months ago

September 8, 2024

By Francesca Hangeior.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has alerted the public on the activities of Christ Mercy Land Delivery Ministries in Effurun, Delta State which, it said, uses its name to deceive the public.

The agency said the investigation followed petitions from concerned citizens about Senior Prophet Jeremiah Omoto of Christ Mercy Land Delivery Ministries with office in Km 5 Effurun, Sapele Road, Delta State on a miracle water and miracle soap being advertised with healing and miracle claims and sold to unsuspecting members of the public by the Spiritual Ministry.

A statement issued by the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, said the cleric showcased the use of miracle water and miracle soap on social media to heal barrenness.

Apart from claiming that the women would carry twins if they used the soap, NAFDAC said, “he openly told his congregation that the soap is NAFDAC registered.”

Adeyeye said, “Thus, the public began to visit the office to confirm the claims. The petitioners also submitted the following products from the Spiritual Ministry to NAFDAC to verify the bogus claims. The products are: Miracle & Healing Water, River Jordan Water, The Miracle Water from The Pool of Bethsaida, A new beginning Mount Camel Miracle Water, Water of life, Miracle Water from The Pool of Bethsaida (1L), a New Beginning Pool of Bethsaida Water, and Father Smelled Perfume.

“Upon receipt of the petitions, NAFDAC, through the Director Post Marketing Surveillance (PMS) NAFDAC, contacted the Delta State Coordinator to ascertain the existence or records of any transaction with the Christ Mercy Land Deliverance Ministries and the products in Delta State Office.

“The Coordinator was also directed to visit the Ministry to establish the veracity of the claims in the petitions and take necessary regulatory action on the production facility in the Ministry where the Miracle water and other products are produced. The State Coordinator covertly bought the Miracle Water (25cl) for 3000 naira from the Ministries and took the pictures.

“On Wednesday August 14 2024, the State Coordinator Delta State visited the Mercy Land Ministry and met the Head of Service (HOS) – Mr. Ogunleye Fufeyin and the Chief Security Officer (CSO). The officials denied producing Miracle and Healing Water or Soap even with the evidence of the receipt of purchase. He claimed that only the Logo and address on the label were theirs but not the product.

“The HOS added that they only have a pool of Bethsaida water which is spiritual and artificial. The HOS requested time to meet with other staff and returned. He returned after 30 minutes and refused to cooperate, asking them to see the CSO.

“On August 27 2024, a team of Investigation and Enforcement NAFDAC and Federal Task Force on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods visited the Ministry, to commence investigation on the place of purchase or the manufacturing site for possible sample collection, for laboratory analysis, but the officials did not cooperate with the team.

“Letters of invitation was issued to the officials to report on August 28 but it was not honoured. The company instead submitted a Legal document at NAFDAC Headquarters Abuja on August 28 2024 and asked to come back on September 3 2024 to organise their document before coming.

“The agency then gave the Prophet till 29 to report at investigation and Enforcement NAFDAC Office Asaba for further necessary investigation.
Investigation and Enforcement Asaba waited for the Christ Mercy Land Delivery Ministries officials based on their earlier request to report for commencement of investigation, but they still refused to show up.

“On September 3 2024, they forwarded some documents instead asking for more time to report. In a document, made available to NAFDAC Office in the evening of September 3, the faith organization claimed to have entered into a production contract agreement with Globod Table Water Km 4, DSC Expressway, Otokutu, Delta State without the knowledge of NAFDAC State Office in Delta State.

“This act is illegal according to the extant rules and regulations on commercial production. In continuation of our investigation, NAFDAC Investigation and Enforcement has sealed Globod Table Water factory for aiding and abetting the production, sale and advertisement of unregistered and unwholesome Miracle Water under the pretext of Fake NAFDAC Registration Number.

“At this point, it is very clear that Christ Mercy Land Delivery Ministries, KM 5, is not ready to present itself for investigation of production and advertisement of suspected falsified, unwholesome, and unregistered “Miracle” products.

“NAFDAC wishes to inform the public that none of these products being advertised and sold are registered with NAFDAC. The public is also being advised to stop patronizing any of these Miracle products. NAFDAC is scientific organization that is guided by verifiable scientific facts before registering any product.

“In the meantime, we will continue with our investigation into the activities of this faith organization with regards to products within our mandates that have been reported to be manufactured and sold by them. I want to use this opportunity to warn either faith organizations against illegal production of regulated product without requisite regulatory requirements.

“I want to assure Nigerians of our resolve to continue safeguarding health of the citizens.”

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Reps Quiz Federal Polytechnics Damaturu, Mubi, Monguno Over Infractions

Published

4 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has queried the Federal Polytechnic Mubi, Adamawa State, Federal Polytechnic Monguno, Borno State and Federal Polytechnic Damaturu, Yobe State over series of administrative and financial infractions.

This was as Rectors and some management staff of the three institutions appeared before the house Committee on Polytechnics and other Higher Technical Education, as part of oversight function to render accounts of their budget performances.

But the Committee found various infractions in the documents presented by the three institutions which ranged from abuse of Federal Character in employment, Extra-Budgetary spendings and recurring abandoned, uncompleted projects in one of the institutions.

During presentation by the Rector of Federal Polytechnic Mubi, Dr. Abdulrahman Ishaku, the Committee discovered that projects that were to be completed in two to three years were not finished despite adequate release of funds in budget.

Specifically, the Committee was provoked by the non-completion of a staff quarters and an administrative block project by the institution for years.

Speaking, Rep. Emil Inyang who stood in for the Committee Chairman, Rep. Fuad Kayode Laguda at the meeting on Thursday, lamented that, the projects have not been completed and have been recurring in the budgets.

He said, “Physical Planning, can you show me where you rolled over the project to 2023? It’s not here. Is it in 2024? Why do you come here to lie? Where is it? That admin block, is it in use? Has it been completed? So, you have abandoned it.

“Gentlemen, I don’t know what to say to these kinds of people. Construction of staff quarters, Item number Nine under 2022 capital projects. Have you seen it Rector? What is the state of that building? Is it completed? It is completed, that’s what is shown here, and you are saying it is still remaining fittings. Is fittings not part of completion?

“You people are just disgracing yourselves. We are just killing this country from various directions. From our various positions we are just killing this country. Let me ask a question on this staff quarters. In 2022, the amount appropriated was N57.9 million, N28.9 was utilized was released, so remaining N28.9 that’s half.

“But, by 2023, appropriation was 88 and the entire amount has been released. So, is it the same project?If it is the same project, when this appropriation was done, does it mean that, the other 28 that was not done, not utilised that time, is it kept somewhere?”

The Rector however informed the Committee that, the fund was later mopped up.

In his ruling after the submission, the Chairman stated, “What I will tell you now is that, instead of going through this your document that does not satisfy anything, please, you will.list all the abandoned, all the structures you have not completed. When it started, How much was appropriated, How much you have put in till date, the state of those projects one after the other in the entire school.

“Not just in. your regime. From inception till date.So that, we will include them in your 2025 budget. You will not do any new thing as capital. You must complete these abandoned. You have turned some of these projects to conduits of putting money into them and not completing them. Even the ones you have written as completed here. You used your own mouth to tell us here that, you have not installed fittings. That is what you said.

“So, this is why it is necessary for us to go there and see things for ourselves.Because what you are doing here, you are just wasting governments’ resources. These abandoned projects or the state of the jobs especially constructions, let’s have it in one week time. How much you have put in there, at what stage are they, how much you will need to complete”.

Similarly, the Committee criticized the Federal Polytechnic Damaturu over using Insecurity as an excuse for financial malfeasance and other infractions as well the abuse of Federal Character in employment.

Chairman of the Committee noted that, the institution has carelessly spent its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) according to the records presented to the Committee.

In his presentation, the Acting Rector, Dr Ibrahim Babale Gashua said, the institution is faced with the challenge of low IGR as a result of the insecurity being faced in the state, which according to him, has reduced students intake and other activities.

He said, “We that are residing in Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State, we have three different high institutions. We have to lower our tuition fee because not everybody will come from outside the state. Even those in the state, it is only the course that is not available in their places that they come for in Damaturu because of the insurgency”.

The Committee however discovered that, despite the insurgency claim that reduced the institutions IGR, there was no commensurate reduction in its spending which the Committee said cannot be justified.

Another member of the Committee while commenting on the matter said, “Everybody comes to claim insurgency. Students don’t want to come to the schools. But it doesn’t stop them from spending the whole money.IGR, you blow it, Overhead, and yet, there is insurgency. So, it’s funny. You see, if I have a house and I am supposed to have 10 people occupying it. If 10 people are not occupying it, it means that my NEPA.payment, my PHCN money will reduce, because consumption of power supply will reduce. My water consumption will reduce. My number of cleaners will reduce because I don’t have full occupation. You understand what I am saying? My security personnel will reduce in terms of numbers.

“So, these are the issues.Most of the Polytechnics in the North come here brandishing this insecurity issue as the major reason for non performance. You are not performing on students admission, but you are performing on your expenditure profile”.

Speaking, Chairman of the Committee said, “Ok, this insurgency is a big excuse. Once you mention it, you will all close our mouths.Look at your Nominal Role, a federal Institution. Open to page 47 and 48, you will see how you have obeyed the law of the land, the Federal Character. Have you seen it Acting Rector? That’s the best you can do? You think from all those Zero-Zero states, if you offer them employment they wouldn’t come?”.

The Rector however reacted saying, “Some of them don’t come. Even those that we have left. I am telling you Sir”.

But a member of the Committee, Rep. Adebayo Adepoju faulted the Rector’s claim and said, it was not justifiable.

He said, “You cannot defend it, because if you are trying to defend it, saying that you’ve done everything in your powers and Nigerians have refused to come to your school, at that point, you say you have done the most you can do.

“But, when you did not even given Nigerians the opportunity to apply. We know what goes on in Federal Character. We know. I am telling you, if you go there and you want to apply, everybody has an interest, they give you. And before you know, they give you Certificate of Compliance.

“That Certificate of Compliance, we have shredded it so many times. Give yourself the opportunity to be fair to Nigerians.People want jobs in this country. We have so many jobless people and you will agree with me, there are many that will say, I won’t mind to go to Borno to teach.Please let’s give them an opportunity”.

The Rector and Management of the Polytechnic were directed to remedy the anomalies in their employment and henceforth advertise all vacancies in national dailies in order to give all Nigerians equal opportunity.

Similarly, after a presentation by the Rector, Federal Polytechnic Monguno, Prof. Garba Mohd, the Committee directed the institution to also be diligent in its observance of Federal Character and other issues as the Committee discovered a skewed empolyment in the institution in favour of a particular section of the country.

It reminded the Rector and members of his management that, as a federal institution, it is required by law to treat all parts of the country in terms of employment and other considerations.

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Obasanjo narrates how he escaped becoming drug addict

Published

7 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Naijablitznews

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed how he almost became a drug addict.

He spoke in Abeokuta over the weekend at the second edition of ‘Fly Above The High’ anti-drug campaign conference organised by the Recovery Advocacy Network.

Obasanjo stated that smoking during his youthful age led to chronic coughing and almost became an addiction.

The former President, while lamenting the increase in drug abuse among Nigerians and other West Africans, urged Nigerian students and young people to refrain from abusing psychoactive drugs, saying that they ruin life rather than enhance it.

“If I had persisted, I could have become addicted. Once you get involved, it is difficult to get out.

“There’s nothing drug can do for you except destruction.

“We found out that West Africa has equally been a centre for drug consumption in a very bad way. That was more than 10 years ago, so the situation has since gone worse. And whatever applies to West Africa applies to all other parts of Africa,” Obasanjo said.

He cautioned against stigmatization and urged individuals who are already addicted to psychoactive drugs to get help.

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We saved $20bn after Petrol Subsidy Removal and FX Rate Reforms, Says Finance Minister

Published

7 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Naijablitznews

Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, says Nigeria has saved $20 billion from petrol subsidy removal and market-based pricing of the foreign exchange rate.

Edun spoke at a ceremony recently held to mark the first 100 days in office of Esther Walso-Jack, head of civil service of the federation, in Abuja.

“An amount of five per cent of GDP is what those two subsidies were costing when there was a subsidy on PMS; when there was petroleum product generally for a long time and when there was a subsidy of foreign exchange. Between them, they were costing five percent of GDP,” he said.

“If you say GDP was on average, let’s say $400 billion. We all know what five percent of that is – $20 billion of funds that could be going into infrastructure, health, social services, education.”