C’River Govt Halts Lucklife International Medical Outreach Over Lack Of Approval

CALABAR – The Cross River State Government has intensified its crackdown on unauthorized healthcare services by shutting down a medical outreach organized by Lucklife International in Calabar, reinforcing a broader enforcement campaign aimed at eliminating unapproved medical practice and protecting public health.

Officials of the Ministry of Health suspended the outreach on Friday at 101 MCC Road, Calabar, after it allegedly commenced without obtaining prior approval from the Ministry, a requirement the government says applies to all medical outreaches and public health interventions in the state.

The enforcement followed the directive of the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk, and was led by the Director of Medical and Dental Services, Dr. Stephen Agbor.

Agbor said the Ministry acted immediately after receiving information that the outreach was operating without government authorization.

“We received a report that there was an outreach going on here without authorization from the government. Unapproved healthcare services constitute a form of quackery, so we had to intervene immediately and stop the activity,” he said.

He explained that the organisers were instructed to halt the outreach and report to the Ministry to regularise their operations before carrying out any future medical intervention.

“We instructed them to shut down the outreach and apply formally to the Ministry of Health. No medical outreach of any nature is permitted in Cross River State without prior approval from the Ministry,” Agbor added.

The Ministry warned residents against patronising unauthorized medical outreaches, saying services provided outside regulatory oversight may expose the public to avoidable health risks.

It advised residents to verify the approval status of any medical outreach with the Ministry before accessing healthcare services.

The latest enforcement comes amid an ongoing state campaign against unlicensed and substandard healthcare practices. In recent months, the Ministry has sanctioned illegal health facilities, intensified inspections of private clinics and reiterated a zero-tolerance policy against unapproved medical services across the state.

Following the suspension, representatives of Lucklife International met with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Jonah Bassey Offor, where they briefed officials on the company’s operations and submitted samples of their products and supporting documents for regulatory assessment.

Speaking after the meeting, the company’s Marketing Representative, Mr Theophilus Okoye, described Lucklife International as a registered health and wellness network marketing company operating in Nigeria and more than 108 countries.

Okoye said the company would comply with the state’s regulatory requirements before conducting future outreaches.

“We will formally apply for the required approval before undertaking any future outreach in Cross River State,” he said.

He added that the organisation had submitted product samples and other relevant documents to enable the Ministry review its application and make an informed decision.

Although the Ministry confirmed the outreach was stopped for lack of authorization, officials did not state whether any patients had already received treatment before the intervention, whether any injuries were reported, or the specific medical services planned for the programme. Those details were not immediately available as of press time.