?Colleagues protest continued market closure, send SOS to Tinubu, Soludo

By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Traders at the Ogbo-Ogwu Bridgehead Drug Market in the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State, on Tuesday took to the road to protest the continued closure of their shops by the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

The traders, under the aegis of ?Concerned and Genuine Members of Ogbo-Ogwu Drug Market, regretted that the development have not only brought untold hardship and financial burdens upon them, but have led to the death of five of their members as a result of depression and hunger, while several others are in the hospital.

The aggrieved traders, numbering over 2,000, with placards marched round the market starting from the Oshogbo Park to the River Niger Bridge and back to Uga Junction.

Some of the placards they displayed by the traders read, ?We are not merchants of death?, ?Trouble is too much for us?, ?NAFDAC, stop the intimidation now? ?We are saving lifes?, ?We were looted and intimidated?, ?Enough of this marginalisation?, ? They took away cash from our shops?, etc.

Addressing journalists during the protest, the National Convener/Secretary, Concerned Genuine Members of Ogbo-Ogwu Drugs Market, Ifeanyi Chinedu said, ?Our shops are still under lock and keys, contrary to claims by NAFDAC that it has reopened it.

He called on the Federal Government to prevail on NAFDAC to reopen the market and also investigate claims of seizure of fake drugs.

While insisting that NAFDAC officials illegally invaded their shops in their absence and carted away genuine registered drugs of over 60 trailer loads from the various shops, Chinedu added, ?We the members of Ogbo-Ogwu drug market after our long awaited first general meeting with the caretaker committee Chairman and his executives since the invasion of the market by NAFDAC officials made the following declarations.

?That NAFDAC invaded our various shops in our absence and carted away properly registered goods worth Billions of Naira.

?They also carted away drugs from multinational companies from USA, Germany, Turkey, Pakistan, all of international standards and impeccable qualities.

?That the claims by NAFDAC that all the drugs they carted away are fake and substandard are inhumane and malicious lies meant to tarnish the image of thousands of responsible and genuine business men and women at Ogbo-Ogwu drug market.

?That we challenge the Federal Government to set up a high powered panel of enquiry to investigate the goods carted away in over 60 trailer loads with the aim of ascertaining the veracity of the claims of NAFDAC Director-General and some of her corrupt officials.

?That the claims by NAFDAC officials that our various shops were being searched in our presence are another set of malicious and fabricated lies meant to carpet their heinous crime of barbaric breaking, entering, searching and looting of someone?s shop in his absence, including boutiques in the market in this 21st century and democratic world.

?That it has become clear that Mr Chukwuelota led caretaker committee is not capable of leading and protecting the interest of Ogbogwu drug market.?

The traders further passed a vote of no confidence on the market caretaker committee Chairman and his executive and called for their immediate resignation.

They also claimed that NAFDAC has imposed a fine of N2million levy before any shop would be reopened, telling them, it is for documentation purposes.

He added: ?We reject in it?s entirety the criminal fines imposed on us by NAFDAC and call on the Federal minister of health and National Security Adviser, the National Assembly to come to our rescue.

?We demand the immediate and unconditional reopening of the market to genuine businessmen and women of Ogbo-Ogwu drug market to ascertain the level of looting bequeathed on genuine businessmen and women in the market. Over five persons have died, and several others hospitalised due to depression.

?We call for immediate prosecution of those caught with suspected fake and substandard drugs , in conjunction with the present caretaker committee who collaborated with them to bring in those deadly drugs into the market.

?We remain law abiding to the Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu. We also pledge our loyalty to the state government led by Prof. Chukwuma Soludo,? the traders added.