In Ghana when an opportunity is given to people to serve, many use it as a means to line their pockets. For a long time, this misconception seems to have eaten deep into our politicians and public servants.

But one man who has made it manifestly clear that, a service to mankind is a service to God and so will discharge his duties with the utmost integrity and forthrightness, is Dr. Stephen Opuni.

When he was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of the Food and Drugs Board, a lot of people doubted his ability to inject a new lease of life in that organization after his predecessor had reduced it to a money-making machine for himself and his cronies. Without any innovation, the board was without any purpose, and it had lost direction.

A strong brilliant vision is potent motivator; it confirms the essence of the remark “do not ask what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”. This is the spirit Dr. Opuni has introduced into the public service.

He rallied the staff he met around a common vision, and the result is fantastic.

When a vision is defined and shared with others, it helps to motivate and unify a group of people around a purpose goal.

Dr. Opuni has, through his charismatic and instrumental leadership, in this short period, introduced new initiatives, and has restored the lost glory of the board.

Never a week passes without the FDB being in the news, all for the good reasons you can think of, at least, meeting the core functions of the Food and Drugs Board.

With an increasing introduction of new drugs and the springing up of health facilities of various questionable activities, the FDB has been up and doing, nipping these problems in the bud.

Ghanaians by nature are very gullible when it comes to drugs; they would buy anything, provided it is claimed to cure all their sicknesses. The fashion, or craze these days with the youth, has to do with the consumption of ‘aphrodisiacs’, which are purported to enhance sexual performance.

All these drugs have not received the approval of the FDB but have been allowed into the system by unscrupulous state officials, especially customs and police officers.

The health of people is the wealth of the nation, goes the saying, and if we can’t guarantee the safety of our people through regulating what drugs are sold and consumed, we could mortgage the future of this country to people who claim to have found the cure for one sickness or another, without any scientific proof and approval by relevant institutions.

Unwholesome and expired products have gotten into the country without anybody raising the alarm and the red flags, all because authorities have gone to bed.

Nobody is showering praises on Dr. Opuni, as ego blowing is not our style, but it is said that, where praise is due let’s give it; we can’t always celebrate people only when they are dead. We must celebrate to encourage them to go beyond what they are doing now that they are alive. What we are doing is applauding Dr. Opuni and his rejuvenated staff.

The following chronicles his achievement in the short period that he has been at F.D.B.

Food and Drugs Board (FDB) supervises safe destruction of varieties of unregistered drugs and medical devices imported into the country by Meilun Company, Ghana.

Destruction of 3,000 cartons of turkey tails- for how long has turkey tails been imported into this country? It took the vigilance and the proactive leadership of Dr. Opuni to bring the health implications of turkey tail to the public, how many Ghanaians know that Poultry and poultry products with total fats exceeding 15% has been banned and not to be imported, distributed and sold in the country.

Recently, the Food and Drugs Board raised serious concern about the proliferation of turkey tails on the local market in flagrant violation of existing regulations.

It reminded the public of requirements for dressed poultry products in the Ghana Standards for Poultry Products, GS 91: 1990, states in section 6.3.3, that fat glands should be removed. In Section 6.3.4 of the same standard, it states that fat content of poultry products should not exceed 15%.

It recalled that the Ministry of Trade and Industry in 1999, based on this standard, issued a communiqué to all importers to the effect that poultry and poultry products with total fat content exceeding 15 % was banned and not to be imported into the country.

Consequently, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture also stopped issuing permits for the importation of turkey tails into Ghana. However, turkey tails are still found on the Ghanaian market.

It is, therefore, clear that these turkey tails are smuggled in, either through unapproved routes or through misleading declaration of product contents at the approved points of entry.

It revealed seizures made in recent times. 8000 arrested in Tema, 3000 seized at Kwashieman, 3100 seized at Kaneshie, and 350 seized at Nsawam.

It is worth noting that the fat from turkey tail, being of animal source, is likely to have a good proportion of saturated fats which are associated with high cholesterol level and as such are implicated in the occurrence of many diseases including heart diseases.

Excess cholesterol in the body is known to accumulate, along with other substances, in the walls of the blood vessels. Over time, this can cause the arteries to become narrow, eventually blocking the flow of blood to the heart and/or brain, leading to either a heart attack, or a stroke. Scientific findings also indicate that diets high in saturated fats can increase the risk of lung, colon, breast, uterine and prostate cancers.

On 08.02.10, the Food and Drugs Board, in conjunction with National Security and CEPS, detained a container of frozen chicken at Kaneshie because it contained 1,970 cartons of turkey tail as part of its contents.

Again, on 09.02.10, the Food and Drugs Board, the National Security and CEPS, impounded a container in which 2,095 cartons of turkey tails had been concealed among 692 cartons of chicken backs.

The Food and Drugs Board would like to strongly advise the consuming public to desist from patronizing turkey tails and give information on any person known to be involved in the illegal importation of the said commodity.

Meanwhile, the Food and Drugs Board, in conjunction with the National Security, Veterinary Services Directorate, and the Custom Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) will continue to intensify inspections of all frozen food consignments prior to release, so as to curtail any filtering of turkey tails onto the market.

Also, frequent and thorough inspections of all primary cold storage facilities are ongoing to mop up any consignment that may have already entered the market.

Additionally, importers of poultry products should note that turkey tails imported, into the country shall be seized and destroyed at the expense of the importer, aside other punitive measures.

The Food and Drugs Board wishes to assure the general public that it is doing all in its power to ensure public health and safety.

1. FDB clamps on illegal sex enhancement drugs

2. Acumal Junior- the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) wishes to bring to the attention of the general public, the circulation of an unregistered antimalarial product. This product was sampled through the FDB’s routine Post-Market Surveillance activities, and laboratory analysis conducted has revealed that the product is substandard, and therefore, compromising its quality, safety and efficacy.

The list is endless; this is a manifestation of a visionary leader and a re-oriented staff, one with a sense of purpose. Through Dr. Opuni’s leadership, the FDB has been able to raise funds to put up a permanent office, meaning the FDB, would be vacating its old premises which is a rented premises.

The board is positioning itself through a lot of restructuring to not become just a government institution but one which would be a profit-making one, to enable it to pay its staff and put some funds into government chest as it seeks to help President Mills achieve his Better Ghana agenda.

People like Dr. Opuni you come along once in lifetime; the country and Ghanaians are grateful to him and his staff. We salute their effort; we wish you the best in your endeavours.

Opportunities won’t come from any other place, it must come from the decisions that you make, the things that you do and the hope that you hold in your hearts.

Ghana salutes you and your men.