NAFDAC
• Police blame herdsmen for destruction of farmlands in Anambra
An Ad-hoc committee of the House of Representatives has reprimanded the Kano State Police Commissioner, Rabiu Yusuf, for being partisan and for failing to live up to his civic responsibilities.
The Toby Okechukwu-led panel, which probed the need to avert a breakdown of law and order in Kano and other infringements in the country recommended Yusuf’s removal over his inability to ensure a cordial relationship among the Kano political class. The committee was constituted after the adoption of a motion sponsored by Aliyu Sani Madaki (APC Kano) on February 28, 2017.
The report, which specifically probed the claims that some policemen invaded the residence of Sani Mohammed Aliyu Rano in Kano was laid on the floor of the House presided over by the Speaker Yakubu Dogara yesterday. The report, which would be considered for adoption by the 360 member House recommended that the Police authorities in Kano should desist from being partisan and strive to maintain a cordial relationship among the political class and the people of the state.
It further recommended that the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, should transfer Yusuf to another state command. The committee maintained that posting a new commissioner to the state would bring about a fresh, healthy and peaceful relationship within the political class in the state and create the enabling environment for peace to thrive.
It further recommended that the officers from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos namely: Inspector Idris Adamu; Sergeant Lewis Dila; Sergeant Adedokun Abiodun; Corporal Gogol Yitpowe and Corporal Isah Hashim breached due process when they invaded Rano’s residence in Nasarawa Quarters, Kano without search warrant.
In a related development, the House of Representatives has enjoined the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to immediately ban the sale of codeine and other ‘harmful’ drugs in the country. Adopting a motion sponsored by Abdulsamad Dasuki (APC Sokoto), the lawmakers directed NAFDAC to ensure that codeine was only dispensed through prescription and only sold in hospitals.
Dasuki, while leading debate on the motion particularly stressed the need to stop abuse by banning the sale of codeine and tramadol over the counter and the need to address their abuse in northern Nigeria.It is believed that about three million bottles of codeine are consumed in Kano and neighbouring Jigawa State.
He urged NAFDAC to introduce punitive measures against medical practitioners who sell opioid medications without a notarised prescription by a qualified medical doctor.Meanwhile, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Garba Umar, has blamed the destruction of farmlands on the invasion of herdsmen from neighboring states.
He said the rising incidence of herdsmen invasion has become an ugly trend, which has become a source of concern to the state, saying the new set of herdsmen who arrived the state were ignorant of the agreement between the state government and the Fulani Community.
Lamenting the development, residents of Anaku Community in Ayamelum Local Council of the state had sent a save our souls (SOS) message to the state government over what they described as unrestricted destruction of their farmlands and intimidation by the herdsmen.The traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Peter Oforkansi, who briefed newsmen, said the ugly trend was already ravaging the community.
