Kasapreko delighted as NAFDAC arrests fake Alomo Bitters producer

 

L-R : Director, Drug Evaluation and Research, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mrs Titilope Owolabi; Director, Port Inspection Directorate, NAFDAC, Mrs. Maureen Ebigbeyi and Director - General, NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii displaying the fake Alomo Bitters confiscated from a counterfeiter at a media briefing on the activities of the agency in Lagos recently.

Kasapreko Company Limited, producer of a  medicinal alcoholic beverage,  Alomo Bitters,  has expressed delight at the arrest of a man who allegedly specialises in the production of unwholesome imitation of the original Alomo Bitters by officials of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

The suspect, Mr. Akintunde Smith, was arrested few weeks ago at his residence on Akanni Street, Teddy Village, Lagos where he was producing the counterfeit version of Alomo Bitters, following a tip-off.

Dr. Paul Orhii, director-general of NAFDAC, had paraded the suspect along with two others  during a media briefing at the agency’s office in Oshodi, Lagos recently.

He said about 314 (14 X 750 millimeters) cartons of fake Alomo Bitters, several empty bottles and packaging materials were recovered from Smith during a raid carried out by the operatives of the agency.

Reacting to the development, Kojo Nunoo, managing director, Kasapreko Company Nigeria Limited, said the seizure of the fake Alomo Bitters and the arrest of the suspect by NAFDAC were in line with the company’s unrelenting campaign to protect consumers of Kasapreko’s Alomo Bitters from counterfeiting.

He commended the agency as he  affirmed  that the safety of consumers was non-negotiable.

“Counterfeiting is quite a big issue because the lives of our consumers are being endangered and it is very disturbing for us as a company. For us, we have invested a lot in an authentic product that is good for general body health but now we have other people faking this product, this is worrisome to us. The company is investing in ways to fight it; one of these is what you are seeing,” he said.

Nunoo added that his firm supported NAFDAC and other regulatory agencies in their bid to curtail the evil activities of counterfeiters in Nigeria.

“We collaborate with regulatory agencies just to help us fight the circulation of fake products in the market. It’s a big issue but we also use this opportunity to assure our consumers that the fight is on and we assure them that they will always have the original Alomo Bitters in the market and they should always patronise our products,’’ he stressed.

He further assured consumers that as part of measures to safeguard them from buying fake Alomo Bitters, the company would soon introduce holograms with embedded security features and other signs that authenticate the company’s genuine bitters. He enjoined consumers to always examine the product before buying.

Nunoo said aside the negative impact on human health; the illicit trade causes loss of huge revenue for the government, erases employment creation as well as leads to loss of market space by the producers of genuine products whose goods have to stay longer on the shelves.

Giving details of the arrest of the suspect, Orhii, said, ‘‘Mr. Akintunde Smith was arrested in his residence at Akanni Street, Teddy Village, Lagos where he was producing counterfeit and unwholesome Kasapreko Alomo Bitters amongst other popular alcoholic beverages. The registered Kasapreko Alomo Bitters is manufactured in Ghana by Kasapreko Company Limited.”

The NAFDAC boss stated that the illegal production of regulated products by counterfeiters constituted a major threat to human health, and urged members of the public to join hands with various government agencies to rid the Nigerian markets of substandard products.

He said, “Mr. Akintunde Smith has been operating without due regard to the principles of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and standards of hygiene in the production of the violative products. His actions are inimical to public health.”

He said further that increased surveillance, intelligence and information gathering as well as efficient policing of the land and sea borders by NAFDAC operatives have also resulted in the interception and seizures of large containers of substandard products in recent times.

The NAFDAC director-general also revealed that the syndicates behind the counterfeiting of registered products have taken to local manufacture of unwholesome products due to the intense searchlight being beamed on the land and sea borders.

Dr.Orhii added that some suspects who were involved in the forgery of the agency’s documents and operation of illegal manufacture of products that posed serious threat to public health, had been arrested. 

He said they would all be prosecuted and charged to the court of law.