Reopen Onitsha drug market, South East Reps caucus tells NAFDAC 

The South East Caucus of the House of Representatives has called on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to reconsider its decision to keep the Onitsha Bridgehead Drug Market in Anambra closed.

Speaking at a press conference, the caucus leader, Rep. Igariwey Iduma Enwo, expressed concern that the continued closure of the market is depriving law-abiding traders of their primary source of livelihood.

While condemning the activities of unscrupulous traders involved in the production and sale of counterfeit and substandard drugs, Enwo stressed that the actions of a few should not lead to the collective punishment of all traders in the market.

It may be recalled that NAFDAC has sealed over 4,000 shops in Onitsha, 3,027 in Lagos, and another 4,000 in Aba as part of its ongoing nationwide crackdown on counterfeit and substandard medicines.

Enwo strongly criticised those engaged in the illicit trade of fake and adulterated drugs, describing them as “death merchants” whose activities endanger public health and have led to the loss of lives. He noted that their clandestine operations not only evade government scrutiny and taxation but also sabotage the nation’s economy.

Commending NAFDAC for its intervention in tackling the distribution of fake drugs, Enwo urged the agency to adopt a more targeted approach that spares innocent traders and medicine users from unnecessary hardship.

“The wholesale and indefinite sealing of a market that supplies over 90 per cent of the medication needs of the South East and South-South regions may not be the most effective solution,” he stated.

“While we fully support NAFDAC’s statutory role in eradicating fake drugs, we urge them to swiftly arrest and prosecute those responsible for the production and distribution of counterfeit medicines. The complete lockdown of the Onitsha Bridgehead Market has far-reaching consequences, particularly for medicine users across the South East and South-South zones,” he added.

Enwo called on NAFDAC to expedite the resolution of the issue by prosecuting offenders and implementing measures to sanitise the pharmaceutical sector in Onitsha and other affected markets across the country, including Aba, Lagos, and Kano.