A former employee of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Olatunde Isaac, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to appoint him as the Director-General of the Agency.
Olatunde, former member of the National Food Regulations Drafting Committee and recipient of the NAFDAC Merit Award 2022, made the appeal in a post on X, highlighting his nearly decade-long service at NAFDAC and his years of work in the fight against counterfeit and substandard medicines and unsafe food products.
TVC News Online reports that the call comes days after NAFDAC said that it does not have direct regulatory oversight over unbranded and unpackaged staple foods such as palm oil and fufu sold in open markets.
Olatunde said, “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.”
According to him, his contribution to the fight against fake food and drugs 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,” Olatunde said.
He said his appeal to President Tinubu was based on his experience and professional competence rather than a request for personal favour.
“Mr. President, I am not asking for a favour. I am offering competence, experience and a proven commitment to the national interest,” he said.
Olatunde promised to intensify the agency’s fight against counterfeit medicines and unsafe foods if given the opportunity to lead NAFDAC.
“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,” he said.
He also set a target of reducing the circulation of counterfeit and substandard medicines and unsafe regulated products by at least 60 per cent 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.
Olatunde argued that Nigeria had professionals capable of tackling the challenges confronting the regulatory sector, stressing the need 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.
He concluded by urging the President to give him the opportunity and necessary institutional support to deliver on his proposed agenda.
“Give me the mandate. Give me the tools. I will deliver.
“Nigeria deserves a stronger, more effective war against fake drugs and unsafe foods.”