LITTLE Miss Agnes Ojo was bubbling with life a week ago with no inkling of what the wicked world held in store for her. She was excited that Sunday morning when daddy came back from night duty. Full of life and beaming with smiles, she shouted, 'Daddy! daddy!!"

As usual, daddy carried her up and shouted, 'Baby girl.' Both daddy and daughter smiled back at each other. Daddy quickly planted a kiss on the cheek of his beloved baby girl. Few minutes later, daddy brought out the biscuit he had bought for Agnes and the three other children.

The Killer drug

This was the last conversation that ensued between daddy and his daughter before the alleged merchant of death sent her to early grave in the early hours of Thursday, November 27, 2008. Fourteen months old Agnes was said to be in good health until Monday last week when she woke up coughing, vomiting and running temperature.

Just like every other mother, Mrs Rachael Ojo, who is also a nurse, concluded that they were signs of teething problem in children and decided to walk into a nearby chemist shop where she purchased a bottle of 'My Pikin' syrup, on the advice of one of her neighbours.

Little did she know that the moment she purchased the syrup, she had signed the death warrant of her child. Shortly after administering the drug on Agnes that morning, Rachael left for work only to come back to find her baby girl writhing in pains. The mother of four became confused. She sought for answers on why the baby was reacting to the drug, instead of recovering. She could not pin point the cause.

Peter Ojo...the company behind My Pikin drug should be dealt with

The following day, as the husband, Mr. Peter Ojo, returned to the house, she complained to him that Agnes had been manifesting so many symptions apart from the cough, vomiting and high temperature that started the previous day. By then, the baby could no longer breathe well, her face had swollen up.

The head of the family advised the wife to quickly take the child to their family doctor, which she did immediately. Getting there, the doctor examined the child, suspected signs of kidney problem and prescribed drugs worth about N1,800 which Mrs. Ojo bought immediately.

But the drugs did not alleviate the baby's pains as her condition continued to deteriorate.

Last Wednesday, the husband said the baby should be taken back to the doctor.

On getting there, the doctor, who had heard earlier on the television about the news making the round about 'My Pikin' syrup, on a second thought, asked what kind of drug she had given to the baby. The mother told the doctor that it was 'My Pikin syrup.'

On hearing this, the doctor referred them to Ajani Memorial Hospital at Mosafejo Bus Stop Amukoko. At the hospital, the doctors were suspecting all kinds of things such as measles, liver problems, amongst others. Confused and worried, Mrs Ojo, whose husband was on night duty, put a call through to the husband to come home as his daughter's condition had grown worse.

Kidney failure

It was at the third hospital that it was discovered that the drug, 'My Pikin', which the baby took earlier had badly affected the kidney. Agnes was confirmed to have had kidney failure and gave up in the early hours of Thursday, precisely at 1.00 a.m.

Narrating his heart rendering story, Mr. Ojo, who is a staff of Vanguard, said, "I never knew that my baby will end up this way. Among all my children, Agnes was loved by everybody in my area because of her wisdom. She was very smart. She spent only a short time on earth but her memory will linger in our hearts for a long time. My three other children are crying till this moment.

"It all started that day when I got home and saw my baby having difficulty in breathing, I raised alarm and asked what she (my wife) had given the baby that made her to react this way and she said it was teething mixture, My Pikin. Instructing her to go back to hospital, she went and they were admitted while the doctor told her that the teething powder had damaged my baby's kidney.

"Imagine how a drug that was supposed to improve her condition caused the untimely death of my little Agnes. It is very painful. My little baby was loved by every one around my street. She was very clever. I will miss her. It was a shock that I lost the baby. As I am talking to you, I am yet to recover from the shock. I never knew that the drug I read about in our paper could end up killing my own baby."

Ojo, who demanded that the company behind the manufacturing of the drug should be severely dealt with, said: "This error has killed many children including my Agnes and government should not allow these people to go scot-free. Children of today are the leaders of tomorrow; if this manufacturing company had decided to eliminate these children, they have automatically eliminated the future of this nation.

This matter should not be swept under the carpet. I trust the director general of NAFDAC, Prof. Dora Akunyili. I am personally appealing to her as a mother to help fight our cause.

"NAFDAC should investigate thoroughly and take up legal action against this company. Let them compensate all the families that lost their children as a result of this killer drug. I thank NAFDAC for their timely intervention to shut down the company but it should be permanently shut. The company and its accomplice, at Ilasamaja, should be prosecuted for their action which has killed children and many more are dying."

He appealed to President Umar Yar'Adua and the National Assembly to take urgent and drastic action to ensure that the pharmaceutical company does not go unpunished. "I also call on Governor Babatunde Fashola, as the chief security officer of Lagos State, to ensure that the case is not swept under the carpet."

On her part, Rachael appealed to mothers to stay away from the syrup as it can only bring tears to people. "I am in tears now after stopping bearing children. 'My Pikin' has robbed me of my joy. My children, neighbours and friends are crying for me. I will only say, may the God I serve judge whoever that has caused me this pain."