The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), urged the Nigerian Natural Medicines Development Agency (NNMDA) to address the growing issue of unregulated herbal drinks in the country.
The ICPC Resident Commissioner for Lagos State, Mr. Kabir Elelu, made this appeal during a one-day training webinar on Thursday titled, “Building a Transparent and Accountable Public Institution and Inauguration of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the NNMDA.”
Elelu expressed deep concern about the widespread sale of herbal mixtures, commonly referred to as “Ala Agbo,” by street hawkers, warning that their consumption poses significant health risks.
“One particular area I want you to look at is natural medicine.
How do we harness it and protect public health? These hawkers are bastardizing it, and some of their concoctions are killing our people,” Elelu stated.
He highlighted the alarming rise in health issues linked to unregulated herbal mixtures, including liver cirrhosis and other serious diseases, and called on the NNMDA to devise solutions to tackle the problem.
“Now, we have a high rate of liver cirrhosis and all kinds of diseases that can be associated with the intake of herbal concoctions,” he added.
Elelu also outlined the ICPC’s mandate under Section 6 of its Act, emphasizing the importance of system audits, public education, and investigations to combat corruption.
He underscored the role of ethics and integrity in public service, linking corruption to broader national challenges such as insecurity, inflation, and unemployment.
“Corruption has infiltrated every sector in Nigeria, resulting in insecurity, inflation, unemployment, and challenges in the oil and gas industry.
As public servants, we must lead the fight against corruption, starting from our own spaces,” Elelu stressed.
He commended the NNMDA for its commendable performance on the ICPC Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard, where it consistently achieved scores above 70%, but urged the agency to intensify its efforts in promoting transparency.
The Director-General of the NNMDA, Prof. Martins Emeje, reaffirmed the agency’s dedication to transparency and its mission to advance research and development in natural medicines.
(NAN)
