The South East Caucus in the House of Representatives has urged the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to consider reopening the Onitsha Bridgehead Market in Anambra State.
The leader of the caucus, Mr. Igariwey Iduma made the call at a news conference, in Abuja.
He said that the caucus unequivocally condemn the nefarious activities of unscrupulous traders in the market.
The leader also said that the caucus frowns at the activities of the so-called businessmen and women, who peddle and engage in the business of production and distribution of fake and adulterated medications and drugs which they pass on to unsuspecting public.
According to him, their activities does not only imperil public health, but have led directly or indirectly to the loss of lives.
He described them as ‘fake drugs peddlers, death merchants and economic saboteurs” since their clandestine activities are not open to government scrutiny and taxation.
The leader said the caucus commends NAFDAC for their intervention in halting the unconscionable activities of these “merchants of death all over the country.”
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Mr Igariwe, however, appealed to the agency not to punish innocent and genuine traders as well as drug/medicine users alongside the alleged criminals.
He explained that the sealing of the entire market has a huge collateral damage on the entire country particularly on medicine users in the South East and South South zones.
“While we are mindful of NAFDAC’s statutory role in curbing and stamping out fake drugs in the country, we urge them to quickly arrest and prosecute those responsible for the production and distribution of these fake drugs.
“The wholesale and indefinite sealing of a market that caters for over 90 per cent of the medication needs of the South East and South South regions, may not be the best approach.
“More so when it is considered that many of the other traders in the same market are genuine business men and women.
“Therefore, to avoid a situation of visiting collective punishment on all the traders of Onitsha Bridgehead, which is currently in a state of lockdown, and considering the wider collateral effect of the lockdown on the health needs of the larger population. We urge NAFDAC to quickly resolve the situation by prosecuting the offenders, sanitizing the entire medical ecosystem, whether in Onitsha bridge head market, or in Aba, Lagos or Kano,” he said.
He urged the Nigerian Customs Services (NCS) to stand up to their responsibilities by ensuring that the land, sea and air borders are better protected to nip in the bud the influx of fake and adulterated drugs into the country.
The Deputy Chief Whip of the House who is a representative from Anambra state also condemned the sealing of the market which he said affects a lot of people negatively.
It should be recalled that NAFDAC sealed over 4,000 shops in Onitsha, 3,027 shops in Lagos and 4,000 shops in Aba since it commenced the ongoing nationwide operations to clampdown on fake and substandard medicines in the country.
Emmanuel Ukoh
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