Olayiwola Matthew
Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), says she is not afraid of death threats.
The Nation reports that Adeyeye spoke while briefing reporters in Abuja during the weekend.
She said the death threats followed the agency’s moves to take down major fake drug distribution networks in Kano, Idumota, Yaba, and Onitsha.
The director-general said she was in the United States for over 30 years but returned to Nigeria to serve her people.
She said the threats would not discourage the agency from its unwavering commitment to protecting public health.
“I was in the US for 37 years. I came back home for service. I could have been there, comfortable. And I tell people I came here as a missionary,” she said.
“If missionaries could leave their comfort zones where they were born and live with us in Nigeria, I do not have an excuse to come back home.
“Coming back home is not easy; it’s a sacrifice. I have grandchildren, I have children that I don’t see. So, fear is not part of my daily dictionary.
“My coming back is to serve, but that doesn’t mean I don’t use my common sense. I use a lot of common sense, but it’s not just me alone; it’s also about my workers.
“I was not the one that was beaten and bleeding in Onitsha six months ago because they (NAFDAC workers) were on an inspection operation.
“There is one of our workers. One day, I just looked at her arm and asked: What happened? She said they went on an inspection and she almost lost her life.”
Adeyeye added that the government has to be able to to compensate and protect the agency’s workers accordingly.