Hundreds of traders at the Ogbo-Ogwu Bridgehead Drug Market in Onitsha, Anambra State, have staged a protest, accusing the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) of continuously closing and looting their shops and imposing illegal fines on them.
The traders, under the aegis of Concerned and Genuine Members of Ogbo-Ogwu Drug Market, lamented that the development had brought them untold hardship and financial burdens.
The aggrieved protesters, during their protest yesterday, carried placards with different inscriptions and marched around the market starting from the Oshogbo Park, up to the River Niger Bridge and back to Uga Junction; they claimed that no fewer than five traders have died, and several others hospitalised due to depression and hunger.
Some of the placards read, “Trouble is too much for us,” ” We are not merchants of death,” “We are saving lives,” “NAFDAC, stop the intimidation now,” ” We were looted and intimidated,” “Enough of this marginalisation,” and ” They took away cash from our shops,” among other things.
The national convener/secretary of the Concerned Genuine Members of Ogbo-Ogwu Drugs Market, Ifeanyi Chinedu, lamented in an interview with newsmen that their shops are still under lock and key, contrary to NAFDAC’s claims that it has reopened them.
Chinedu urged the Federal Government to prevail on NAFDAC to reopen the market and also investigate claims of seizure of fake drugs, insisting that NAFDAC officials illegally invaded their shops in their absence and carted away genuine registered drugs of over 60 trailer loads from the various shops.
He listed some of their demands, saying, “We, the members of the Ogbo-Ogwu drug market, after our long-awaited first general meeting with the caretaker committee Chairman and his executives since the invasion of the market by NAFDAC officials, made the following declarations.
“That NAFDAC invaded our various shops in our absence and carted away properly registered goods worth Billions of Naira.
“They also carted away drugs from multinational companies from USA, Germany, Turkey, Pakistan, all of international standards and impeccable qualities.
“That the claims by NAFDAC that all the drugs they carted away are fake and substandard are inhumane and malicious lies meant to tarnish the image of thousands of responsible and genuine businessmen and women at Ogbo-Ogwu drug market.
“We challenge the Federal Government to set up a high-powered panel of enquiry to investigate the goods carted away in over 60 trailer loads with the aim of ascertaining the veracity of the claims of NAFDAC Director-General and some of her corrupt officials.
“That the claims by NAFDAC officials that our various shops were being searched in our presence are another set of malicious and fabricated lies meant to carpet their heinous crime of barbaric breaking, entering, exploring and looting of someone’s shop in his absence, including boutiques in the market in this 21st century and democratic world.
“That it has become clear that Mr Chukwuelota led caretaker committee is not capable of leading and protecting the interest of Ogbogwu drug market.”
The aggrieved traders also passed a vote of no confidence on the market caretaker committee Chairman and his executive and called for their immediate resignation.
They also claimed that NAFDAC had imposed a fine of N2 million before any shop could be reopened, saying it was for documentation purposes.
“We reject in its entirety the criminal fines imposed on us by NAFDAC and call on the Federal minister of health and National Security Adviser, the National Assembly, to come to our rescue.
“We demand the immediate and unconditional reopening of the market to genuine businessmen and women of Ogbo-Ogwu drug market to ascertain the level of looting bequeathed on genuine businessmen and women in the market. Over five persons have died and several others hospitalised due to depression.
“We call for immediate prosecution of those caught with suspected fake and substandard drugs, in conjunction with the present caretaker committee who collaborated with them to bring in those deadly drugs into the market.
“We remain law abiding to the Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu. We also pledge our loyalty to the state government led by Prof. Chukwuma Soludo,” the traders added.
A trader, Uchechukwu Ola, said, “It’s been since two months since our market was sealed, and within this period, we have not been able to feed as the shop is the only source of living we depend upon has been set.
“We want the government to open the market; we are dealers of genuine products, and the claims by NAFDAC about the market are not true. The drugs that were carted away are genuine and registered drugs.”
