By MONDAY AJOGUN

Gov. Charles Soludo of Anambra has pledged to collaborate with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to eliminate fake, substandard, and adulterated drugs from the market.

Soludo made the promise on Saturday in Onitsha while addressing traders of Ogbo Ogwu and surrounding markets, which were recently shut down by NAFDAC for dealing in counterfeit and expired drugs.

The governor recalled that the market was also shut for four months in 2007, emphasising that such actions were crucial for collective safety.

“The enforcement is being carried out by NAFDAC. We are here to solve the problem,” he said.

Soludo mentioned a meeting with the head of the plumbing market, who expressed shock at the discovery of counterfeit drugs in the area.

“He did not know that such illicit drugs could be found here.

“I’m not here as a politician, but to address the issue at hand – the high rate of fake drugs in the market.

“These drugs are so dangerous that taking malaria pills, for instance, can cause further health problems instead of curing malaria,” he warned.

He assured the traders that NAFDAC officials would sanitise the market swiftly and that the process would be completed in the shortest possible time.

In response, Chief Ejiofor Chikodi, Chairman of the Onitsha Building Materials Traders Association, committed to taking strict action against anyone found storing counterfeit drugs in their shops. (NAN)