Onitsha drug market closure: Soludo 'll always ensure that traders do not suffer - Information Commissioner

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Dr. Law Mefor, Dr. Adam Obidike with officials of Ogbo Ọgwụ market in Onitsha

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By Obi Madu

Worried by reports that some shops at the Head Bridge drug market, Onitsha are still under lock following the inability of the owners to pay fines imposed by the National Agency For Food, Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, the Anambra State Commissioner for Information,Dr. Law Mefor has assured the traders that Governor Chukwuma Soludo will always ensure that they do not suffer.

Mefor, who spoke after a fact-finding tour of the market to ascertain the true situation, recalled that the governor had visited the market in February and ensured that the market was reopened. He visited the market with his counterpart in the Ministry of Health,Dr. Adam Obidike, officials of NAFDAC and leaders of the market.

According to the Information Commissioner, "Our visit is a follow -up on the earlier one by the governor in February, when the Ọgbọ-Ọgwụ Market was closed. The governor made a passionate appeal to NAFDAC, asking the agency to quickly reopen the market to alleviate the sufferings of the people.

As a committed and compassionate governor, Soludo will always do all he can to ensure that the people do not suffer unduly.

I also wanted to ascertain whether or not the market is still closed as claimed on the social media. I can see for myself that the market has been open since March.

We have met with the leadership of the Ogbogwu Market, the Director of Investigation and Enforcement of NAFDAC for South South/South East, and we have been able to ascertain how far they have gone in making sure that the Ọgbọ-Ọgwụ Market is running the way it should.

From the Director of Enforcement and the union in the market, we learned that up to 95% of the shops are now open, and there are still a few shops under lock and key because the owners say they don't have the kind of money being requested as a fine. There are also some shops whose owners are reluctant to show up to be profiled for reasons best known to them.

For shops that are yet to be reopened, we will continue to support our governor to continue to put pressure on NAFDAC so that the remaining shops are reopened. It's very important".

In his remarks, the Ọgbọ-Ọgwụ chairman, Ndubuisi Chukwuleta, explained that the market has been open since 7th March, 2025, when NAFDAC finished their work.

According to him, the enforcement exercise did not take place only in Anambra, adding that it also took place in Lagos and Aba and that everyone in both places paid the fines based on what was found in their shop.

"There's a sketch of the Connected Wholesale Centre (CWC), which the federal government brought out for four centres namely, Lagos, Kano, Abịa and Anambra. Only Kano has complied and finished it.

Governor Soludo is building that of Anambra now in Obá. It has been more than 10 years since they asked us to build it. NAFDAC people didn't go to Kano; it is only shops in Lagos, Onitsha and Aba that were penalized for poor storage."

He thanked Governor Soludo for his intervention and support throughout the process, pointing out that it was the governor's appeal that necessitated the shortening of the duration of the market closure, unlike the previous exercise that left the market closed for four months.

Chukwuleta further said that it was through the intervention of government representatives that the fine of ₦2 million was reduced to ₦500,000, and the clearance that would have been done in Enugu is being done in the NAFDAC office in Onitsha.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, who was part of the visit, assured that the drug market with full facilities for proper drug storage under construction in Oba will be completed as scheduled, and reminded the traders of the government's commitment to their welfare.