Lagos Assembly moves to stop unwholesome sales of COVID-19 drugs

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday frowned at what it called the unwholesome and illegal sales of supposed drugs for COVID-19.

This was as the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, directed the acting chairman of the House committee on health, Hon. Hakeem Shokunle, to have further discussions with the executive arm in relation to a bill on COVID-19 that had been passed months ago by the Assembly.

Speaker Obasa, who presided over the sitting, said the state needed to act, monitor and regulate activities around the sales and use of the drugs so as not to make it free-for-all.

Shokunle (Oshodi/Isolo 1) had raised the motion on the floor of the House and complained that some Nigerians were taking advantage of the COVID-19 situation in the state to sell various drugs.

While noting the danger in such illegal action, Shokunle urged the House to revisit the bill on COVID-19 which the House had passed and which was awaiting Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s assent.

He said an amendment of the bill would allow the executive arm of the state government to work maximally in its efforts to combat the pandemic.

In his contribution, Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu (Eti Osa 2), supported Shokunle adding that it was lamentable the way people are bringing vaccines into the country.

He advised that there should be a way to regualate the importation of such drugs as well as their sales, especially as the virus comes with different variants.

He noted that the House already has a bill and that all that is required is a recall of the bill for the purpose of amending it to cover the sales and distribution of related drugs.

On his part, Hon. Temitope Adewale (Ifaki Ijaiye 1), said while COVID-19 is known to be ravaging the world and affecting the state, there is danger in self-medication or administration of drugs that are not regulated or approved.

Supporting that the bill be recalled, he warned that the state faced the danger of people suffering adverse effects from the use of some of these drugs.

The motion was further supported by Hon. Tobun Abiodun (Epe 1) and Hon. Ajani Owolabi (Mainland 1).