The Upper East Regional Office of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has conducted a significant operation in the Bolgatanga Main market, successfully removing unregistered and potentially harmful products to ensure public health and safety. The raid, which took place on a market day, involved FDA officials sweeping through the market, including shops in the central lorry station.
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Unregistered Products Found and Seized by FDA
Despite the attempts of traders to hide the unregistered products upon seeing the FDA officials, the team was able to identify and seize various harmful items. These products, which included herbal products, aphrodisiacs, ointments, hand sanitisers, and body enhancement items, were found to carry disturbing imagery, such as stickers depicting male sex organs. The FDA did not spare those traders who pleaded, loudly shouting, “Please fear God and spare us.”
FDA’s Ongoing Efforts for Public Health Safety
Mr. Abel Ndego, the Acting Regional Head of the FDA, reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to maintaining regulatory compliance within the region. “We have been doing our underground work to ensure that we raid the region to get rid of all unregistered and unwholesome products that could pose a public health threat,” he explained. Despite multiple sensitisation programs aimed at traders, the presence of unregistered products continues to be a concern.
Smuggling Routes and Unregistered Product Infiltration
As part of ongoing investigations, the FDA traced the entry of these unregistered products from neighbouring countries. Mr. Jiah Jiato Juah, the Regulatory Officer 1 (RO 1) who led the exercise, revealed that Ghanaian traders crossed the border into Senkase, a community in Northern Togo, to purchase these products. They then used unapproved routes, such as motorbike trails through Bawku and Garu, to bring them into the Upper East Region.
Further checks revealed that unregistered products were also entering the region from Dakola, a community in Burkina Faso, smuggled through the Paga area in the Kassena-Nankana West District. These products, being unregistered, cannot legally be manufactured, distributed, imported, or exported, as per regulatory law. Despite this, some members of the public continue to purchase and use these products, putting themselves at risk.
Public Awareness and Support
The operation highlights the urgent need for continued vigilance and awareness to protect public health. The Authority’s actions demonstrate its commitment to tackling the illegal sale of harmful products and safeguarding the well-being of residents in the Upper East Region.
