Chinedum Treasure
Former member of House of Representatives who represented Orumba North/South Federal Constituency, Hon. Okwudili Ezekwankwo, has condemned the sealing of Ogbo Ogwu drug market and other adjoining markets at the Onitsha Bridgehead market for days now even as he lamented sale of fake/adulterated drugs in the market.
He described unjust and detrimental blanket closure of the entire markets, which he said was affecting thousands of innocent traders who engaged in legitimate businesses.
He named the markets affected by this action to include, Plumbing surgical, provision, and others stating that those affected have been denied access to their shops, preventing them from earning daily livelihood and causing immense hardship for them and their families coupled with worsening economic situation in the country.
He said, “While I commend NAFDAC for its swift intervention in curbing the circulation of counterfeit drugs, I urge the agency to ensure that innocent traders are not subjected to unnecessary suffering due to the actions of a few individuals.
“The right approach should be to fish out the culprits and bring them to justice rather than imposing collective punishment on law-abiding business owners.
“As the former President General of the Amalgamated Market Traders of Anambra State (AMATAS), former President General of the South East Amalgamated Market Traders Association (SEAMATA), and former Acting President General of the Amalgamated Market Traders of Nigeria, I respectfully appeal to the Federal Government and NAFDAC to reconsider the decision to seal all the markets and urgently reopen them.
“I also call on NAFDAC to conduct a thorough investigation and hold those responsible accountable in line with the law. Innocent traders who conduct legitimate businesses should not bear the brunt of the misconduct of a few bad actors.
“The continued closure of these markets is causing severe economic distress for thousands of traders and their families. It is imperative that the markets be reopened without further delay to prevent further hardship and economic setbacks.”
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