Rita Odafe
Mr. Afam Ogene, a member of the federal legislature, has strongly criticized the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for imposing a N700,000 fee on traders affected by the shutdown of the Onitsha pharmaceutical market.
Representing the Ogbaru Federal Constituency in Anambra State as a member of the Labour Party, Ogene described the situation as “shocking, unacceptable, and despicable” during a statement made on Tuesday.
He expressed his concern that there is clear evidence indicating that NAFDAC is demanding N700,000 from each shop owner in the market to grant them access to their premises.
According to Ogene, more than 1,000 shop owners have already remitted the controversial access fee of N700,000.
The lawmaker reminded everyone that the House of Representatives had previously issued a warning to NAFDAC in February to avoid harming legitimate businesses during their operations in the market.
Ogene challenged the justification for charging all business owners a N700,000 fee without considering their individual situations.
“The prolonged closure of the market and NAFDAC’s failure to identify and penalize those involved in drug counterfeiting raises serious doubts about the agency’s effectiveness.
“What is the purpose of this fee? If it’s meant for granting access to the impacted traders’ shops, does it mean that paying this fee absolves those guilty of counterfeiting? How can this be fair to the honest businesses in the market?
“Doesn’t this clash with the values of equity and justice that are fundamental to democracy and the rule of law? This issue could have been avoided and detracts from the ongoing battle against counterfeit drugs.
“NAFDAC’s conduct is unethical, intolerable, and disgraceful; the agency must urgently rectify this situation to protect its reputation and restore confidence, thus preventing further shame,” he stated.
