Codeine: Emzor Pharmaceuticals breaks silence, speaks on shutdown

Emzor Pharmaceuticals Industrial Limited, one of the
companies implicated in the illegal manufacture and
distribution of codeine-contained syrup has broken its
silence.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and
Control, NAFDAC, had recently lifted the shutdown placed
on Peace Standard Pharmaceutical Limited and Bioraj
Pharmaceutical Limited in Ilorin, Kwara State, and Emzor
Pharmaceuticals Ind. Ltd, Lagos.

During a press conference in Lagos on Sunday, Uzoma

Ezeoke, an executive director at the company, said:
“Unfortunately, we found ourselves as a key selling point for
that documentary. All eyes were on us even when others
were mentioned.”
In her address, Stella Okoli, chief executive officer of the
company, said it became necessary to interact with the
media because of the events of the past few weeks.
“We have been inundated with requests. I think that we are
strengthening democracy. We are deeply touched to know
that our hopes, our future, the youths of this country are
having issues with drug abuse or prescription drugs,” she
said.

“My heart reaches out to the family that are affected. This is
a social problem. We shall all work together to overcome
this problem. All of us must join our hands in harmony, in
peace, in love, in friendship to solve the problem.
“As you know, Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries is a major
player in the pharmaceutical industry for more than 40 years
providing high quality but affordable medicine to all
Nigerians.
“You have rewarded us with your confidence. You have
rewarded us with your comments. You are actually those
that help us to advance the quality of our products,” she
said.