The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially transmitted the resolution of its emergency meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday to the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

It also attached the communique of the meeting, the findings of the Saminu Turaki SAN-led fact-finding committee as well as copies of the Court Judgement/ orders with an instruction to the NWC to immediately swear in Sunday Ude-Okoye as substantive National Secretary.

This was sequel last Wednesday’s emergency meeting held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

This was contained in a memo from the BoT to the NWC, yesterday, barely 24 hours after the meeting.

The memo read in part, “The attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) is hereby drawn to the attached Legal Opinion of the BOT Committee led by Dr. Taninu Kabiru Turaki, SAN; and the Communique issued at the end of the Emergency BOT Meeting affirming Rt. Hon. S.K.E. Udeh Okoye as the substantive National Secretary of our Party.

“NWC is hereby invited to please. study the report and its recommendation for immediate implementation.”

The documents were stamped and received by the Office of the Deputy National Chairman (North), Amb. Umar Damagum’s office before he became Acting National Chairman.

An Enugu High Court had in a ruling affirmed Ude-Okoye’s appointment as National Secretary, and the decision was subsequently upheld on appeal.

However, Senator Samuel Anyanwu told a national daily that, “With all due respect, the BoT’s position is advisory.

“I have a valid stay of execution from the Court of Appeal. The substantive matter is still before the Supreme Court, the PDP as a law-abiding party should wait for the final decision of court and not rush into taking decisions that would become counterproductive.”

The House of Representatives has urged the Attorney General of the Federation to propose harsher sanctions, including life imprisonment, for producers and importers of fake drugs into the country.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance, sponsored by an All Progressives Congress lawmaker, Tolani Shagaya, and read on the floor during yesterday’s plenary.

Highlighting the importance of the motion, Shagaya expressed concern over the alarming increase in the production, importation, and distribution of fake and substandard goods, drugs, food, and beverages across Nigeria.

According to him, this development poses significant threats to public health, national security, and the economic stability of the nation.

He added that the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have repeatedly warned that Nigeria is one of the most affected countries in the world by counterfeit medicines, contributing to thousands of avoidable deaths annually.

He said, “The House is aware that NAFDAC recently seized counterfeit food and pharmaceutical products worth over ?5 billion in a raid at the Cemetery Market in Aba, Abia State, highlighting the widespread nature of this menace.”

“The House is concerned that Nigeria suffers economic losses of approximately ?15 trillion annually due to counterfeit and substandard goods, as reported by the Standards Organization of Nigeria. The unchecked proliferation of fake products not only jeopardises consumer safety but also discourages genuine investment in the food and pharmaceutical industries.”

“The House is further concerned that despite existing regulations, weak enforcement mechanisms, corruption, and the absence of stringent penalties for offenders have emboldened perpetrators to continue endangering public health.”

“We recognise that the current legal framework does not provide sufficient deterrence, as offenders often return to the illicit trade due to lenient fines and bailable sentences, allowing them to operate with impunity.”

He further added that a national state of emergency is necessary to intensify enforcement efforts, strengthen regulatory institutions, and impose stricter sanctions on perpetrators.

Following overwhelming support for the motion by lawmakers, the House urged the Attorney General of the Federation to propose amendments to existing laws with a view to imposing stricter penalties.

These include, “life imprisonment for those involved in the production and importation of fake drugs and significant fines for businesses found guilty of dealing in counterfeit goods.”

The House also urged the Federal Government to strengthen the capacity of regulatory agencies, particularly NAFDAC, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Customs Service, by providing adequate funding, modern equipment, and advanced technology for effective surveillance, detection, and enforcement.

It further urged the Federal Government to establish a special task force comprising security agencies, regulatory bodies, and the judiciary to fast-track investigations and prosecutions of individuals and businesses involved in counterfeiting.

The House also directed its Committees on Health, Commerce, and Industry to conduct a comprehensive probe into the prevalence of counterfeit products and propose legislative measures to address regulatory gaps.