By Gloria Ikibah
The South East Caucus in the House of Representatives has urged the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to reconsider the closure of the Onitsha Bridgehead Medicine Market in Anambra State.
Leader of the caucus, Rep. Igariwey Enwo, who made the plea at a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja, strongly cocondemned the activities of traders dealing in fake and substandard drugs, and said the continued lockdown of the market was having widespread negative effects.
Naijablitznews.com recalled that NAFDAC had recently sealed over 4,000 shops in Onitsha, 3,027 in Lagos, and another 4,000 in Aba as part of its nationwide crackdown on counterfeit and substandard medicines.
The Agency last week had said the markets remains lockdown.
Rep. Igariwey denounced those involved in the sale and distribution of fake and adulterated medications, describing them as “merchants of death and economic saboteurs” whose activities not only endanger public health but have also led to loss of lives.
He also commended NAFDAC for taking decisive action against these illegal operators but urged the agency to ensure that innocent and law-abiding traders are not unfairly punished alongside the culprits.
The caucus stressed that sealing the entire market has far-reaching consequences, particularly for medicine users in the South East and South-South regions, where the market serves as a major pharmaceutical hub.
The caucus therefore called for a targeted approach that prosecutes offenders while allowing legitimate businesses to continue operating.