.Asks NAFDAC to tackle root causes of counterfeit drug circulation
By Phil Okose, Onitsha
Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has assured the traders of Bridgehead drug market, Onitsha South Local Government area, Anambra State of his resolve to unseal the market which has remained sealed for about two weeks now following alleged dealing in fake/substandard drugs.
He gave the assurance when he stormed the market and addressed the traders on the overwhelming quantity of fake/adulterated drugs being sold in the market and recovery of large quantity of such drugs stored in the Plumbing section of the market that prompted National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, to seal the drug market and its adjoining markets.
“In 2007 the market was shut for about four months and the then governor did not visit but this time around this one would not reach up to one month, in few days, it is going to be open, I would probably either myself or some of our officials would be back here in the next few days to formally open the market, it would be open in not less than ten days”,Soludo assured traders.
He disclosed, “I have earlier sent the Commissioner for Health, Mr Afam Obidike, the first day this market was closed, it was the pressure of our intervention that made NAFDAC officials to allow market heads to be presence during their searching.
“Before coming here, I have interfaced with NAFDAC officials and discussed, because I am here from Abuja airport after meeting with the NAFDAC DG for this particular issue and part of it is to have solution for what is happening here.
“Drug is exclusively under Federal Government, they are in charge, everything drug doesn’t concern the state government but exclusive list for Nigeria, it is a Federal Government affair, they are 100 per cent in charge but I have come with solution.
“Firstly, I have gone there for inspection to be sure it is not to maltreat us, I went to plumbing section but what we saw according to plumbing chairman, Mr Victor Ejiofor, it couldn’t allow him to eat, he didn’t know that another thing was being sold in the section without his knowledge.
“Their parking stores are with different fake, adulterated and substandard drugs, hard drugs that are harder than tramadol, the drugs taken by these hardened kidnappers and killers who see people as mosquitoes whenever taken these drugs.
“How were these drugs being snuggled in here, we are going to flush all fake drugs, we must follow the trace all the way to India where they manufacture these dangerous drugs. We would also identify with custom officials at the airport because it is somebody that produces and clears it in India whether approved or not.
“I have told the Comptroller here that I have agreed with you(traders) the eco system from the manufacturer to the importation, even those who clear it at the airport or seaport that the market mustbe free of fake drugs.
“Anambra State must be free from fake and dangerous drugs because you buy these drugs, they damage our kidneys, liver, they kill people, their job here is a great job, to save us, because we are trying to destroy ourselves.the primary duty of NAFDAC is to save us.
“Onitsha drug market is the biggest in Nigeria, open drug market in Africa and we are going to maintain being the leader of open drug market in Africa, we must make sure we cleared substandard and fake drugs from Onitsha drug market so that the whole world would be coming here at Onitsha to buy drugs.
“We would do something different so that the whole world would come to Anambra to buy standard and world class drugs.
“I commend NAFDAC, with ourselves we must start self policing, some of the drugs here are required to be kept in a very cool temperature but people keep them in 35,37 degrees centigrade, being ineffective due to inappropriate temperature it was kept.
“America or London drugs do not make drugs to be standard, they also chase away fake drugs in their place, even in the UK, US, they also police the way NAFDAC does it here, the fact is that America or UK doesn’t make it real that standard, No, it is there as it is here.
“We have discussed with the DG, the first time it was closed was taken up to fiur months before it was reopen, it cannot reach up to four months, what we agreed is that they are going to increase the labour force, increase their personnel to check, increase security for them.
“The next is that the shop owners were not allowed to be around when searching. We now agree that when searching each line, the owners of the shops would be there and be part of the inspection.
“We are going to have the most modern market, open drug market in Africa, it would happen next year, they cannot be coming every few years to check fake drugs, we are going to start inspection, there would be proper checks, so that the drugs coming into the market would be certified,” Soludo affirmed.
