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Kano Court jailed Innocent Oparah for repackaging paracetamol as chloroquine

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 Nasiru Yusuf

A Federal High Court, Kano, has sentenced a 41-year-old man, Innocent Oparah, to three years jail term for endangering the lives of innocent consumers through the circulation of fake drugs.

KANO FOCUS reports that Mr Oparah was charged to court for labelling paracetamol as Quinine Sulphate & Nivaquine (Chloroquine) tablets at No D222 Sabon Gari Market, Kano.

The court was presided over by Justice Ibrahim Mark in the case with charge No FHC/KN /51/2019.

In a statement signed by the Resident Media Consultant of the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control, Sayo Akintola, on Sunday, Oparah was on Friday sentenced to three years with an option of a N200,000 fine.

Count one stated, “that you, Innocent Okparah on or about October 20, 2018, at the above address within the jurisdiction of this honorable court was found in possession of fake drugs, thereby, committed an offence contrary to section 1(a) of the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (miscellaneous provisions) Act, Cap C34, LEN 2004 and punishable under section 3 (1) (a) of the same Act.’’

The statement read in part, “Innocent Oparah was also prosecuted for illegally labelling Quinine Sulphate and Nivaquine Chloroquine 100mg in a manner that was false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 5 (a) of the Food and Drugs Act, Cap F32, LFN 2004 and punishable under section 17 of the same Act.

“The convict was arrested on October 20, 2018 with some drug products and Paracetamol label that was changed to Quinine and Nivaquine.

“In collaboration with the members of National Association of Patent & Proprietary Medicine Dealers, officers of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control had, upon intelligence information, swooped on the Sabon Gari market in Kano where the convict was picked up.

“Four boys were met at his shop changing labels of paracetamol with that of quinine and the boys confessed that it was Innocent a.k.a. INNO that owned the products.

“The boys called Innocent Oparah on phone, and he later came and met them at the shop where he accepted ownership of the products.

“The analyst found the two drugs unsatisfactory for human use as the content of the Quinine Sulphate was lower than expected and the manufacturer’s address was not indicated on the product label.

“The analysis report of Nivaquine Chloroquine 100Mmg tablet was not satisfactory as the friability test was out of specification and tablet breaking, also percentage content of chloroquine was lower than expected and the manufacturer’s address was incomplete. The Quinine and Nivaquine are not registered by NAFDAC.”

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Hajj 2024: Gov Yusuf approves N1.4bn subsidy for 2,900 intending pilgrims

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Hajj

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

The Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, has paid N500,000 for each Kano intending pilgrim who will perform this year’s Hajj under the umbrella of the Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board.

KANO FOCUS reports that the Director General of the Board, Alhaji Lamin Rabiu Dan Baffa, disclose this while briefing journalists on Wednesday.

He said the Kano State Government took the decision with regards to the recent increase of the Hajj fares by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria which was attributed to the instability of the forex exchange rate.

“We consider the current economic hardship people are facing and the increase of Hajj fares is a great challenge to many intending pilgrims, that’s why we came up with the subsidy initiative to alleviate the sufferings of intending pilgrims,” he said.

Dan Baffa urged all intending pilgrims to ensure that they pay the balance before March 28, 2024, as directed by NAHCON.

The Director General maintained that those to benefit from the Hajj subsidy are those who have already paid part-payment to the board, saying over 2,900 intending pilgrims have already made their part payment with the board.

Recall that early this week, NAHCON announced the increase of Hajj fares with N1,918,032.91, which makes the total Hajj fares N6,617,032.91.

Meanwhile, fresh intending pilgrims are required to pay N8,254,464.74 as the full Hajj fare for this year, as required by NAHCON. Lamin Rabiu Dan Baffa, disclose this while briefing journalists on Wednesday.

He said the Kano State Government took the decision with regards to the recent increase of the Hajj fares by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria which was attributed to the instability of the forex exchange rate.

“We consider the current economic hardship people are facing and the increase of Hajj fares is a great challenge to many intending pilgrims, that’s why we came up with the subsidy initiative to alleviate the sufferings of intending pilgrims,” he said.

Dan Baffa urged all intending pilgrims to ensure that they pay the balance before March 28, 2024, as directed by NAHCON.

The Director General maintained that those to benefit from the Hajj subsidy are those who have already paid part-payment to the board, saying over 2,900 intending pilgrims have already made their part payment with the board.

Recall that early this week, NAHCON announced the increase of Hajj fares with N1,918,032.91, which makes the total Hajj fares N6,617,032.91.

Meanwhile, fresh intending pilgrims are required to pay N8,254,464.74 as the full Hajj fare for this year, as required by NAHCON.

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Coalition reviews Kano 2024 budget, captured 557 citizens driven projects in education, health sectors

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Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, government officials and journalists have identified 557 citizens driven projects in 2024 approved budget.

KANO FOCUS reports that the group shared the findings during a validation session of the 2024 budget analysis held recently in Kano.

Presenting the findings Sulaiman Ismail from Hasken Kano said the state government has approved 426 citizens driven prproject in education sector in 2024 budget with a total value of N61. 01bn representing 13% of the total budget.

He observed that personnel expenditure witnessed a significant increase of 77 % compared to that of 2023 approved budget.

Presenting a paper titled Health Sector Citizens Analysis, Akibu Hamisu of the Kano budget working group pointed out that, the state government had set aside over seventy two billion Naira, representing over 16% of the total budget in health sector.

He said out of the 273 projects designed by the health sector, 131 were identified as citizens driven, 37 projects were allocated to urban communities and 68 were captured under rural communities.

Others who presented findings include Comrade Safiyanu Lawan Bichi and the secretary of the House Standing Committee on Higher Education, Kano State House of Assembly Muhammad Lawal.

In their goodwill messages, Khalid Mustapha from the Kano State Ministry of Planning and Budget (MoPB), described the session as a welcome development.

Umma Muhammad Rakana of PLANE project and Mohammed Jibril from Lafiya commended the collaboration between development partners and Kano State Ministry of Budget and Planning.

Earlier in his welcome address, the state partnership facilitator, PERL FCDO, Yunusa Hamza explained that the session was organized to present and validate findings from the budget analysis conducted by citizens group recently.

KANO FOCUS reports that the sessions ‘ tagged presentation and validation of the citizen’s analysis of the 2024 budget with stakeholders was supported by Partnership to Engage Reform and Learn (PERL) Partnership for Learning for All In Nigeria (PLANE) and Lafiya project.

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Kano Govt approves second term/Ramadan vacation

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Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

Kano State Government on Thursday, approved March 28, 2024 as the date for the commencement of 2nd term vacation to all day and boarding public, private primary and post Primary Schools in the state.

KANO FOCUS reports that parents and guardians of pupils and students in the boarding schools are therefore enjoined to convey their wards home on Thursday 28th March, 2024.

A statement issued by the Director Public Enlightenment of the State Ministry of Education Balarabe Abdullahi Kiru explained that boarding schools pupils and students are to resume back to their respective schools for the third term on Sunday 21st April 2024 while the day students are to resume on Monday April 22nd, 2024.

The statement quoted the Commissioner of the ministry Alhaji Umar Haruna Doguwa urging parents to ensure total compliance with the approved resumption date.

Umar Doguwa further, warned that appropriate disciplinary action would be taken against defaulting students.

He however thanked people in the state especially parents for the cooperation and support giving to the ministry, and wished the students successful and hitch free holiday.

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