Angry traders have staged a protest following the closure of Ogbo-Ogwu Bridgehead Drug Market in Onitsha, Anambra State by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The traders, which were more than 2,000 demonstrators, who held banners which reads: Concerned and Genuine Members of Ogbo-Ogwu Drug Market, expressed their distress over the situation, which they claim has caused significant hardship and financial strain.
According to the aggrieved traders, five traders of their colleagues have died and many others have been hospitalized due to stress and hunger.
The protesters also accused the government agency of demanding a payment of N2 million from each trader before allowing the market to reopen.
Ifeanyi Chinedu, the National Convener and Secretary of the Concerned Genuine Members of Ogbo-Ogwu Drug Market, told newsmen that their shops remain locked, despite NAFDAC’s assertions that they have been reopened.
Chinedu called on the Federal Government to intervene with NAFDAC to facilitate the reopening of the market and to investigate allegations regarding the seizure of counterfeit drugs.
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 the USA, Germany, Turkey, and Pakistan, all of international standards and impeccable qualities.
“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 the Ogbo-Ogwu drug market.
“We challenge the Federal Government to set up a high-powered panel of inquiry to investigate the goods carted away in over 60 trailer loads with the aim of ascertaining the veracity of the claims of the 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, searching and looting of someone’s shop in his absence, including boutiques in the market in this 21st century and democratic world.”
The 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 has imposed a fine of ₦2 million before any shop would be reopened, saying it is for documentation purposes.
“NAFDAC has mandated that each shop owner pays ₦2 million to them before opening the market; this is ridiculous. 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 the 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 have been hospitalised due to depression.
“We call for the immediate prosecution of those caught with suspected fake and substandard drugs, in conjunction with the present caretaker committee, who collaborated with them to bring 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,” he added.