The Civil Liberties Organization, CLO Anambra State Branch, on Monday, appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Health, Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate, to direct the National Agency For Foods, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to reopen the closed Ogbo Ogwu section of the Head Bridge market and other adjoining markets.
The markets were closed down as a result of the alleged discovery of unwholesome, fake, adulterated, expired, and substandard drugs.
The NAFDAC has given reasons for shutting down the adjoining markets, noting that most of the fake drugs were stored there.
According to Evangelist Vincent Ezekwueme, the Anambra CLO Chairman, the CLO remains in support of moves to sanitize the markets and will continue to support the laudable efforts of the government and its agencies to eradicate and eliminate fake drugs and save the lives of the unsuspecting public.
He maintained that it would be antithetical to natural justice, good conscience, and morality to punish the innocent with the guilty ones.
According to him, information at their disposal indicates that nearly 95 percent of the affected traders were law-abiding and doing legitimate business.
He appealed to President Tinubu, as the father of the nation and the Health Minister, to prevail on NAFDAC officials to forensically identify those buying and selling illegitimate drugs, make them face the full wrath of the law, and allow the innocent ones to continue in their legitimate businesses.
“We call on President Tinubu to urgently intervene and rescue the pathetic situation and save the lives of the affected traders, families and their loved ones by ordering for urgent and immediate reopening of the affected markets.
“Let us always do things right as there are other adjoining six markets not linked with drugs that were shut down and owners of the shops designated for search are supposed to be there to take inventory of items confiscated.
“Immediate reopening of the markets will certainly ameliorate the excruciating sufferings, agony, plights and predicaments of those affected including their families, servants and dependants.
“It is of prime importance to note that some of the affected traders depend on friends and relatives to eat and most of their children are now out of school due to their inability to pay school fees, as a result of the closure of their only source of livelihood.
“We also call for payment of adequate compensations to innocent traders whose shops were erroneously closed or those who alleged that their products are genuine and properly registered by NAFDAC yet confiscated.
“It is correct to say that the continued closure of the markets will exacerbate health challenges confronting the nation as drug prices have skyrocketed astronomically,” Ezekwueme posited.
