The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Dora Akunyili, has said that the Agency has strived to ethrone the ethics of value for money in its task of meeting its statutory responsibility of ensuring that drugs, foods, Cosmetics, Chemicals, medical devices, detergents and packaged water manufactured, imported or used in Nigeria meet required standard for safety, efficacy and quality.

Dr. Akunyili, who spoke on the topic: "Value for Money, the NAFDAC Experience" at the presentation in Lagos of the book: "The Pursuit of Value for Money" written by Mr. Sam S. O. Afemikhe, Managing Partner, S. S Afemikhe and Co, a firm of chartered accountants, said NAFDAC has been able to do that by ensuring that regulated products by it meet the book's prescribed requirements of the 3Es of Economy, Efficiency and Effectiveness.

The "NAFDAC's four-way experience of value for money involves the government, the populace, investors and the Agency", she remarked, pointing out that "value for money transcends getting satisfaction from services rendered, investment and business ventures, to buying simple and essential things like the food we eat."

Expounding further on that, Dr. Akunyili explained: "For the government, we ask ourselves, Is government getting the intended and desired result for creating the agency? Are we ensuring that the health of the nation is safeguarded?

"For the populace, we ask ourselves: Are they getting satisfaction, do they have access to the right quality products for their use or consumption?

"For the investors, we check if they are getting benefit from our efforts to put in place an effective and strong regulatory environment intended to promote their genuine business in NAFDAC regulated products and for the Agency, we are interested in knowing if the methods adopted and efforts put in place in carrying out our mandate are yielding fruits in form of eradication of fake drugs and sanitation of the system in the area of regulated products.

"In NAFDAC's experience of giving value for money, we started by carrying the public along through emphasis on enlightenment, persuasion and dialogue before enforcement. The public is informed that we have established and published Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures for all our processes.

"Products that do not meet the set standards are not approved for use. Imports not conforming to these standards are denied entry or destroyed if already imported.

"And as recommended by the book, we measure quality by assessing our success or failure, timeliness and customer care".

The Director General further stated that productivity in the Agency was enhanced through a healthy and active labour force.

The practice, she explained, results in elimination of waste and maximisation of the use of scarce resources , explaining further that "transparency and accountability are encouraged and fraudulent practices are severely punished. For us in NAFDAC, performance measures are not only importanat, but indispensable. By destroying poor quality products and punishing their dealers, operators with efficient systems and products are encouraged and rewarded, and this enhances value for money to all stakeholders." Added to that, she said: "Our experience is in tandem with the following quote from the book, being presented today: "Economy, efficiency and effectiveness do not just happen. In almost every situation, changes- oftenuncomfortable changes, involving people doing things differently-will be involved".

She continued: "In NAFDAC, we know the meaning of change, and we have experienced change and are constantly experiencing change of psyche, mindset and orientation of our workers, in fact, it is a cultural revolution. There is also a concurrent change in methods, strategies, etc., in our regulatory processes...

"The book, being presented today, "The Pursuit of Value for money" is coming at a most appropriate time. Services at all levels must be rendered in Nigeria in pursuit of value for money and not for the sake of money.

"Professionals must render service to take into account value for money. Politicians and people in government should give value for money by rendering worthy service ... Such services will translate to success, efficiency and effectiveness to the good of all and sundry."

Reviewing the book dedicated to the late former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Aret Adams, Dr. Pat Utomi of the Lagos Business School, on the other hand, called for a change of attitude in the way Nigerians think and act.

He said the book discusses the three Es of Economy, Efficiency and Effectiveness.

He berated the political class for abandoning their primary assignment of service to the people, noting with regret that most political office holders do not understand the principles and essence of governance. Utomi recommended the book for all public office holders nationwide.

In a goodwill message at the event, son of the late Aret Adams, Mr. Aret Adams Jnr. said his late father laid emphasis on self-improvement in all fields, "including the enhancement of personal leadership skills, improving the environment and the life of man generally.