The Abia State government has indicated plans to amend the state’s law on expired drugs to introduce stricter punishments, including imprisonment, for traders involved in selling fake, expired, and unregistered medicines.
Governor Alex Otti made this known on Thursday, February 27, in Aba during a meeting with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and representatives of Ariaria, Eziukwu, and Tenant Road markets.
Otti, represented by his Chief Press Secretary, Ukoha Njoku, warned traders against aiding or shielding those dealing in counterfeit medicines.
“As we pursue these killers who poison our people with expired medicines from the markets now, they will likely move into the suburbs of Aba to continue their wicked acts,” Otti said.
“To save yourselves, when you see something, say something, or these people, when found, will cause you to have your houses sealed while you go elsewhere to live for months awaiting the conclusion of investigations.”
NAFDAC Zonal Director Martins Iluyomade announced at the meeting that shops not found guilty of selling illegal or counterfeit products would be reopened.
However, he stated that some sealed shops would remain closed until their owners were identified.
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“This is to inform traders who are not medicine dealers or counterfeiters but had their shops sealed of the decision of the agency to reopen their shops shut in the past three weeks or more,” Iluyomade said.
“There are conditions, however, which must be met by the traders whose shops were sealed before they can be reopened, and as soon as you meet those conditions, your shops will be reopened.”
Iluyomade expressed disappointment that counterfeiters in Eziukwu Market had rejected NAFDAC’s offer of free registration to transition into legal businesses.
Abia State Pharmaceutical Council Director Ngozi Nzenwata called for the establishment of a Medicine Mart or a Wholesale Coordinating Centre (CWC) to regulate drug sales.
Similarly, Aba South Local Government Chairman Anyanwu Obialor condemned the sale of dangerous consumables and vowed to work with NAFDAC and the state government to punish offenders.
“Henceforth, the council will revoke any shop found counterfeiting or selling expired products in the markets,” he warned.
Market union leaders Mike Okoro and Moses Ibe (Eziukwu Market), James Nwogu (Ekumi/Ariaria Market), and Chimezie Ugwu (Tenant Road Market) thanked NAFDAC and Governor Otti for reopening some sealed shops.
They pledged to support efforts to combat counterfeit drugs and appealed for consideration in reopening the remaining closed shops.