By Christiana Ekpa
The South East Caucus in the House of Representatives, led by Rt. Hon. Igariwey Iduma Enwo, has condemned the activities of unscrupulous traders and businessmen involved in the production and distribution of fake, adulterated, and unwholesome medications at the Onitsha Bridgehead Medicine Market in Anambra State.
This was just as the caucus appealed to NAFDAC to reconsider the indefinite lockdown of the market, which caters to over 90% of the medication needs of the South East and South South regions.
The Caucus also asked the NAFDAC to prosecute the offenders, sanitizing the medical ecosystem, and ensuring the Nigerian Customs Services protect the country’s borders from the influx of fake and adulterated drugs.
These traders, described as “death merchants,” have not only imperiled public health but have also led to loss of lives and economic sabotage by evading government scrutiny and taxation
Briefing the news, the leader of the Group, Igariwey Iduma Enwo said “Our attention has been drawn to the continued lock down of the Onitsha medicine market located at the Bridge head, in Onitsha, Anambra State.
“As a caucus, we unequivocally condemn the nefarious activities of unscrupulous traders and so-called businessmen and women, who peddle and engage in the business of production and distribution of fake, adulterated and unwholesome medications and drugs, which they pass on to the unsuspecting public.
“ To say the very least, their activities not only imperil public health, but have led directly or indirectly to loss of lives. To a lesser extent, these death merchants are also economic saboteurs since their clandestine activities are not open to government scrutiny and taxation.
“Caucus hereby commends NAFDAC for their intervention in halting the unconscionable activities of these merchants of death all over the country.
However, while we are mindful of NAFDAC’s statutory role in curbing and stamping out of fake drugs in the country, we urge them to quickly arrest and prosecute those responsible for the production and distribution of these fake drugs.
“The wholesale and indefinite sealing of a market that caters for over ninety percent of the medication needs of the South East and South South regions, may not be the best approach, mores when it is considered that many of the other traders in the same market are genuine business men and women.
“Therefore, to avoid a situation of visiting collective punishment on all the traders of Onitsha Bridgehead, which is currently in a state of lockdown, and considering the wider collateral effect of the lockdown on the health needs of the larger population, we urge NAFDAC to quickly resolve the situation by prosecuting the offenders, sanitizing the entire medical ecosystem, whether in Onitsha bridge head market, or in Aba, Lagos or Kano.”
