OBI LAMENTS SEAL OF ONITSHA BRIDGEHEAD MARKET BY NAFDAC

By Juliana Nwachukwu  :

As traders at the Onitsha Bridgehead Market continue to gnash their teeth in lamentation  over the sudden seal of their market by National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), for more than a week now, the Labour Party ?LP) Presidential  candidate in the last Presidential election, Mr Peter Obi, Saturday, stormed Uga Junction where he addressed traders and assured them that it would be unsealed.

He expressed regret that scores of traders who do not trade in drugs were affected and listed such items to include those dealing in plumbing materials, tools and other non drug wares and demanded for their immediate unsealing.

Obi, who was accompanied by the Senator representing Anambra South District, Sen. Tony Nwoye, House of Rep member in charge of drugs, Hon Uchenna Okonkwo, LP Anambra State House members representing Onitsha South 1 and 11, Hons Fred Ezenwa and Jude Unennajiego, pleaded to traders  and assured them that it will soon be unsealed.

According to him, We are here because we heard that the market was closed for a week now. It happened when I was the governor but the difference is that I was here immediately it was closed, the Federal Lawmaker in charge of drugs, Hon. Okonkwo has been here.

“We are here to do first hand assessment, we are not against doing the right thing but not to suffer the innocents with the defaulters.

“From next Monday, we, that are here would start work, let them isolate those dealing with fake drugs and when searching shops, the owner would be informed to open his shop before it would be searched in his presence, not keeping people outside while searching their shops.

“We would try our best, we would intervene, be rest assured that by Monday, your senators, your House of Representative member. State House of Assembly members are on this,” Obi affirmed.

Reacting, the House member representing Onitsha South 1 in the State House of Assembly, Hon.  Ezenwa said ,”You know I am product of Ogbo-Ogwu, everybody in Ogbo-Ogwu knows that I don’t support fake drugs in any way.

”The only thing I don’t like is searching people’s shops in their absence. During Dr Dora Akunyili’s time in 1997, they permitted the market chairman, line chairmen and the shop owners to be available, whenever they want to search any shop, the owner would be asked to open his shop, it is when the owner was not there that they would force the shop open and do their searching.

“If they see the illicit drugs, they would seal the shop, or put it on hold, you can believe with me that not all traders in Ogbo-Ogwu deal in fake or adulterated products, so they would have given a chance for the shop owners to open their shops”, Ezenwa posited.

*Juliana is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State*