South-East Lawmakers Call For Reopening of Onitsha Medicine Market

Oluwakemi Kindness

The South-East Caucus of the 10th House of Representatives on Tuesday unequivocally condemn the nefarious activities of traders involved in the production and distribution of fake, adulterated and unwholesome medications across the country.

This is as the Caucus urged the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to consider reopening the Onitsha Bridgehead Market in Anambra state earlier shut down for nefarious activities of unscrupulous traders.

Leader of the caucus, Representative Igariwey Enwo, who made the call in Abuja at news conference at the National Assembly Complex on Tuesday lamented the activities of the so-called businessmen and women who produce these fake medications 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 loss of lives.

Enwo, however, urged NAFDAC not to punish innocent and genuine traders as well as 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.

It could 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.