L-R: Prof Samson Adebayo,  Director,  Ports Inspection,  DR Monica Eimunjeze, Director, Drug Registration and Regulatory Affairs, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC,  cutting the tape to commission 73 newly procured vehicles for the operations of NAFDAC while  DR Charles Nwanchukwu,  Director Laboratory Services  (Food)  and DR Gbenga Fajemirokun,  Special Assistant to the DG, look on at the official commissioning of the vehicles at the weekend…in Lagos

As part of measures to boost its operations, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has taken delivery of 73 new vehicles.

A statement sent to City Business News on Sunday by the agency’s resident media consultant, Mr Olusayo Akintola quoted NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, as saying the vehicles would address many challenges faced by the agency.

According to the DG, it is not encouraging when the staff of the agency depends on their clients to transport them to the factory for inspection.

The vehicles include forty-three Toyota Hilux, twenty Camry, four Coaster Buses and six Hiace

She explained that 20 Toyota Camry 2021 brand for some directors were inaugurated in Abuja, while 10 number 60- Seater Coaster buses were inaugurated at its Oshodi office complex.

Adeyeye said that 43 Hilux vans were also inaugurated at the agency’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate in Apapa to enhance the enforcement, inspection and regulatory activities.

She said that four Coaster buses and the six Toyota Hiace buses inaugurated in Oshodi would serve as staff buses to make life more comfortable for the workers in their day-to-day commuting to and from office.

She pointed out that the welfare of staff of the agency was one of priority, adding that the agency staff deserved the best.

Adeyeye recalled that she met a total debt of N3.2 billion when she resumed as the agency D-G about four years ago, adding that the debt was paid back barely a year after she took over.

‘’The money we saved is the money we use for what we need and not what we want, adding that when money is spent on all wants, the nation suffers the consequences.

‘’That is why we started saving money despite the fact that I met N3.2 billion debt. And within one year we paid N3.01billion.

“The agency is going through its World Health Organization (WHO) audit now, and it’s being judged on seven regulatory functions or a group of activities.

‘’There is one big area called regulatory inspection. This includes visiting companies to see whether they are compliant with their Good Manufacturing Practices.

“It is vehicles that will take our staff there, regulatory inspection includes good distribution practice, meaning all the distributors that handle NAFDAC regulated products have to be visited,” she said.

She added that officials of the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate would also be making use of vehicles to pursue peddlers of contraband goods.

Adeyeye said that each state needs to have at least three Hilux vehicles, adding that the new vehicles would be used by officials of the Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Directorate.