By Okechukwu Onuegbu
National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Thursday, said a total of 4000 shops remained sealed at ogbogwu (drug) market located at Onitsha bridge head, following discovery of expired, fake, counterfeit drugs and other offences.
The Director General, NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, who disclosed this after a brief meeting with Anambra state government officials, however, noted that the shops would be unlocked after profiling while the market would be reopened officially on March 8 as they continue with their operations to get rid of unhealthy drugs from the public.
Adeyeye, represented by NAFDAC Director, South-east zone, Dr Martins Iluyomade, explained that reopening of the market was due to interventions of governor Chukwuma Soludo, including agreement signed with market leaders that they would no longer go back to sales of fake, expired and substandard products in the market.
According to her, during the efforcemement exercise that lasted for three weeks, the agency recovered and shifted over 50 loaded trucks of fake/expired drugs, including narcotics, large number of drugs ban since 2007 and others worth not less than one trillion Naira.
Speaking on behalf of the Anambra State government, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, commended the agency and urged the market leadership to ensure they adhere to the agreement.