Basically, we got the information and our enforcement team got cracking and they saw what was going on in that factory and they decided to close it down because it was a breach and violation of our regulations, a threat to public health and it is on the grounds of unwholesomeness of the products, some which had expired that we decided to shut it down. And when we do, I also want people to understand our Modus Operandi, how we work, it isn’t to kill with a sledge hammer, it is a kind of corrective measure and when we close down a company like that, first and foremost, we evacuate all the offensive items so that it does not go back into circulation and further harm the people, so this is why factories are usually shut down, because if they are not shut down, they can take out those products themselves.

When we got the tip off, we carried out surveillance; we cordoned off the place and took them by surprise. We shut down to give them the corrective measure, to re-assess the place so that we now know that they are well behaved so to say, which is what we call compliance directive. So we are going to take a look at those infringements they committed, then we tell them how to correct and also to ensure Good Manufacturing Practices (GNP) in the location. In GNP, we talk of the environment, the personnel, the raw material and every other thing in totality is what we call GNP.

Once they have accepted the compliant directives which are the dos and don’ts, what they should put in proper perspective so it is geared towards ensuring safety of the public and that is exactly what we have done.

Also there is the punitive aspect of it, which the enforcement directive department is already handling. That is the aspect of the violation of the law, part of the punitive aspect is to destroy the products since they will lose money from that. So that is what we have done, knowing they have complied with the directives, we have assessed the raw materials they are using, that is why we have allowed them to reopen . The agency does not intend to drive them out of businesses. They contribute to the economy through employment of Nigerians and tax payments.

Then, we look at the aspect of administrative fining, fining can range from various categories, if you are a first time offender and also depending on the gravity of the offence committed, they pay an administrative charge, a penalty  fee for what they have done. Secondly, they can be arraigned before the court of law after investigations have been concluded. In this investigation, we have to rely on laboratory analysis because even though the items have expired on the label, we cannot rely on mere sight to arrive at our conclusions on how injurious the products are, so when we get to court, we will be able to prove our case beyond reasonable doubt. So all these are going on, but meanwhile, while they are reopened, they are under surveillance and our people will visit them regularly to ensure continuity of maintaining standards.

Another department also ensures post-marketing surveillance and they pay surprise visit by posing like any other customer, purchase the products and see whether they comply with what our people are seeing in the factory, so it can be in tandem with what is being produced.

You don’t need to pre-empt what we are trying to do because if we tell you right away everything we are doing, we don’t do our work on the pages of newspapers, so we won’t say this so they will not go and wait for us. Action is still ongoing. We have our method of doing our work.