The Labour Party (LP) Caucus in the House of Representatives has commended the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC’s) ongoing efforts to crack down on fake and counterfeit medicines merchants.
The caucus also urged the agency to exercise caution and ensure that its enforcement actions targeted only identified culprits, sparing the operations of innocent individuals and businesses.
It would be recalled that NAFDAC recently sealed medicine markets in Head-bridge Drug Market (Ogbo Ogwu), Onitsha, Anambra State; Idumota, Lagos State; and Ariaria Market in Aba, Abia State.
The agency said its ongoing enforcement operations at these drug markets were to rid the country of counterfeit and substandard medicines.
However, many people operating in the affected markets have complained about the blanket disruption of businesses, including those of innocent people, causing grave losses of goods and money.
Responding to the development in a statement made available to newsmen in Awka yesterday, the leader of the LP caucus in the House of Representatives and member representing Ogbaru federal constituency of Anambra State, Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, said, “While the LP Reps commend NAFDAC for its efforts at tackling the menace of fake and adulterated drugs, we enjoin them to go about the assignment in adherence with global best practices, such that legitimate and innocent traders are not caught in the quagmire.”
Hon. Ogene, who is also the leader of the Anambra State caucus in the House of Representatives, said further: “For instance, it was reported that NAFDAC sealed the market and allegedly denied the traders and their leadership entry, as its officials proceeded to break into shops, carting away pharmaceuticals, without owners of such shops being allowed to witness the operation and take inventory.
“Already, there are reports of some traders and Point of Sale (POS) operators who left varying sums of cash in their shops – the closure having taken place at the weekend – without any means of getting the same back”, he stated further.
Ogene, who is also chairman of the House Committee on Renewable Energy, stated that in Onitsha, for instance, it was reported that NAFDAC’s enforcement actions extended beyond the Medicine Market (Ogbo Ogwu) and also affected the plumbing materials section, which was shut down about a week ago.
“This move has left traders frustrated, as they were abruptly locked out of their businesses”, the lawmaker regrettably noted.
Therefore, the LP leader urged NAFDAC to exercise caution and sensitivity in its operations to avoid unfairly impacting the livelihoods of innocent vendors engaged in legitimate businesses in the affected markets. “This measured approach will help balance the agency’s regulatory mandate with the need to protect the interests of law-abiding entrepreneurs and traders,” Hon. Ogene said.
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