Obi Urges NAFDAC To Scrap N700,000 Charge To Reopen Onitsha Market Shops
Former Anambra State Governor and the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has strongly condemned the alleged demand by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) requiring traders at the Onitsha Head Bridge Drug Market to pay ₦700,000 before reopening their shops.
Obi, who expressed deep concern over the development, described the move as “disturbing, uncaring, and an economic sabotage” against struggling small business owners.
He emphasized that government agencies should prioritize compassion and economic support, especially during times of widespread financial hardship in a statement he issued on Tuesday.
His statement comes after NAFDAC kept mum on whether it is actually collecting the fee which some traders had confided in social media influencer, Martins Otse known for his influence name, VeryDarkMan or VDM that they had paid.
A viral video by VDM, had alleged that NAFDAC demanded N700,000 from each shop owner to reopen their shops.
Although the agency through its Director General Agency, Prof Christiana Adeyeye, in a press statement on Monday, threatened the influencer with the Cybercrime Act without denying the allegation.
NAFDAC DG only screamed “These markets lacked basic registration and compliance with Good Storage and Distribution Practices, posing a grave risk to public health,” without stating if the alleged fee was to fix the environment or what it was meant for.
The Onitsha Head Bridge Market, known for its pharmaceutical hub, was shut down over what NAFDAC said was its regulatory effort to clamp down on counterfeit drugs.
Obi explained that, “I recall visiting the Head Bridge Market during the initial phase of its closure, standing in support of the authorities to ensure our society is free from fake drugs and counterfeit goods.
“I did so with the hope that investigations would be carried out swiftly, and the market would be reopened promptly, especially to ease the suffering of small business owners already burdened by our current national economic challenges.”
Obi noted that the country’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are already on the brink of collapse due to economic pressures.
“Already, over 7 million MSMEs have collapsed in the past two years in Nigeria. Our MSMEs are at a ‘we can’t breathe’ stage,” he said.
“And the very system that should be offering them oxygen to support their breathing is instead suffocating them.”
Calling for urgent intervention, Obi appealed directly to regulatory authorities and government stakeholders.
“I want to appeal again to the relevant authorities: please review and drop this charge. Allow these businesses to reopen,” he urged.
“These shop owners have already endured prolonged closures, mounting unpaid bills, and economic strain. Adding further burdens to them and their families at this time is simply unjust.”
Obi stressed that while regulation and the fight against fake drugs are essential, the approach must be humane and economically sensitive.
“Compassion must lie at the root of government action,” he said. “This level of insensitivity is both disturbing and uncaring.”
Obi Urges NAFDAC To Scrap N700,000 Charge To Reopen Onitsha Market Shops is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
