The leadership of Ogbo-Ogwu Bridgehead Drug Market in Onitsha, Anambra State, has distanced itself from the recent protest staged by some traders under the aegis of Concerned and Genuine Members of Ogbo-Ogwu Drug Market against the continued closure of their shops by the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The market leadership maintained that those protesting against NAFDAC’s sensitisation and enforcement exercise were not genuine traders of Ogbo-Ogwu Drug Market.
Caretaker Chairman of the Market, Hon. Ndubuisi Chukwuleta, made this known while addressing journalists alongside other executive members at his office in Onitsha on Wednesday. He urged NAFDAC, the federal and Anambra state governments, the media, and the public to disregard the protest, stressing that the market remains open for business.
He alleged that the protesters were being sponsored by one Emmanuel Ozoemenam to sabotage the market leadership’s efforts in resolving the issue.
Earlier, the Nigerian Tribune had reported that traders under the Concerned and Genuine Members of Ogbo-Ogwu Drug Market staged a protest on Tuesday, accusing NAFDAC of denying them their means of livelihood and lamenting the deaths of five members due to the enforcement exercise.
Addressing the situation, Chukwuleta admitted that several shops remained closed as they awaited proper profiling, in line with the agreement between NAFDAC and the market leadership.
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“The profiling exercise is currently ongoing here in Onitsha, and we are getting it right. The NAFDAC raid is not new; a similar exercise took place in 2007 under the late Prof. Dora Akunyili. What the agency is doing aligns with my leadership’s vision to keep Ogbo-Ogwu Market free from fake and expired drugs, a goal also championed by Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo,” he stated.
He further revealed, “As I speak to you now, my shop is still under lock and key because I have not completed my profiling exercise, but those who have completed theirs have resumed selling.”
Chukwuleta urged the public, particularly Onitsha residents, to disregard the protest and continue with their lawful activities.
He also commended Governor Soludo and NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, for their support and commitment to ensuring the integrity of the market.
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