Don wants govt. to regulate use of antibiotics

A Professor of Chemistry, Akan Williams, has advised government to regulate the use of antibiotics so as to protect public health in the country.

Williams, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry, College of Science and Technology, Covenant University, Ota in Ogun State, made the call at the 34th Inaugural Lecture of the institution on Monday in Sango-Otta.

Supreme news reports that the lecture has “The Burdens of Pollution And Imperatives For Environmental Clean-Up” as its theme.

The don explained that “investigation revealed that millers surreptitiously fortify their feeds with antibiotics, exposing poultry chickens to sub-therapeutic dosage of drugs.

“These farmers do not observe the cessation period before poultry birds treated with antibiotics are sold, exposing consumers to hazardous antibiotic residue.

“The findings also indicated elevated levels of antibiotic residue in tissues of locally produced and illegally imported meat samples.”

He, therefore, urged relevant authorities to take steps to reduce and control the use of antibiotics to protect public health.

He stressed the need for improved surveillance by monitoring agencies to curb excessive use of antibiotics.

He also called for enlightenment campaigns to educate feed producers and farmers about the dangers of antibiotics in their products and appealed to Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to intensify efforts toward safeguarding the country’s transnational borders.

In his welcome remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Timothy Anake, said the 34th Inaugural Lecture demonstrated the institution’s commitment to foster intellectual discussion to drive an impactful research and raise new generation of leaders toward sustainable future.

The Chancellor of the institution, Dr David Oyedepo, stressed the need for Nigeria and other African countries to clean up their environment “and start taking responsibility in solving our problems.”