A federal lawmaker, Mr. Afam Ogene, has spoken out against the N700,000 fee that traders in the Onitsha drug market are being asked to pay. This charge comes after NAFDAC closed the market.
Ogene represents the Ogbaru Federal Constituency in Anambra State and belongs to the Labour Party. He described NAFDAC’s actions as shocking and wrong.
According to him, there is clear evidence that NAFDAC is officially demanding N700,000 from each shop owner to allow them back into their shops. More than 1,000 traders have already paid this fee, which many see as unfair.
Earlier this year, the House of Representatives warned NAFDAC to be careful not to hurt innocent businesses during their operations at the market. But this new fee seems to punish all business owners, even those who are not involved in any wrongdoing.
Ogene questioned why everyone must pay this high fee. He also said that the long closure of the market and NAFDAC’s failure to catch the people selling fake drugs shows the agency is not doing its job well.
He asked what the fee really covers. If it is just for access to the shops, does paying mean the guilty traders won’t be punished? This does not seem fair to those who run honest businesses.
The lawmaker said these actions go against the ideas of fairness, justice, and the rule of law that democracy supports. He believes this issue is a distraction from the real fight against fake drugs.
Finally, Ogene called on NAFDAC to fix this problem quickly. He said the agency’s current behavior is wrong and could damage its reputation if not corrected.
