A federal legislator, Mr. Afam Ogene, has criticized the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for levying a charge of N700,000 on traders impacted by the closure of the Onitsha drug market.
Ogene, who serves as the representative for Ogbaru Federal Constituency in Anambra State under the Labour Party, characterized the situation on Tuesday as “scandalous, outrageous, and reprehensible.”
He expressed concern that documented evidence indicates NAFDAC is officially extorting N700,000 from each shop owner in the drug market to permit them access to their premises.
The legislator claimed that more than 1,000 shop owners have already paid the disputed N700,000 access fee.
He reminded that the House of Representatives had previously warned NAFDAC in a motion from February against jeopardizing innocent businesses during their operations at the market.
Ogene questioned the justification for imposing a N700,000 levy on all business owners, irrespective of their involvement in any wrongdoing.
“The prolonged market closure and NAFDAC’s apparent inability to identify and bring to justice those responsible for drug counterfeiting raises concerns about the agency’s operational efficiency.
“What is this money for? If it’s for access to the shops of affected traders, does it imply that the fee absolves those guilty of drug counterfeiting? How is this fair to innocent businesses in the market?
“Doesn’t this contradict the principles of fairness and justice that democracy and the rule of law uphold? This controversy is avoidable and distracts from the fight against fake drugs.
“NAFDAC’s actions are unethical, unacceptable, and reprehensible; the agency must act swiftly to address this issue, which threatens its image and credibility, and saves the institution from further embarrassment,” he said.
