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Chaos: Purported New Leadership Reopens Market Sealed By NAFDAC Over Fake Products

BY CHUKWUEBUKA OHIZU / UMUAHIA

The three notorious zones (9,13 &15) at the Eziukwu Road International Market Aba, which were closed in the after a raid by the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have been unsealed by some unknown people claiming to be empowered by Abia State government.

Our correspondent reports that this development came, just a day after Governor Alex Otti on Friday January 31, at a media chat, promised to collaborate with the regulatory agency to ride the state of all forms of fake and counterfeit products .

It is on public domain that, NAFDAC, had between 16th and 17th of December 2024, raided the market, resulting in the sealing of over 300 shops and business premises identified as productions and distribution centres for adulterated and revalidated essential goods.

Expired products seized in zone 9, 13 &15 at the Eziukwu Road International Market

As gathered, the surprise raid, the second since thae serious one of 13th December, 2023, led to the seizure and destruction of counterfeit products worth over N5 billion.

Daily News Nigeria repoets that penultimate week, the NAFDAC South East Zonal Director ,Martins Iluyemode, at a meeting featuring the Abia state Commissioner for Trade and Commerce Kingsley Nwokocha, the market leadership and stakeholders, insisted that the sealed session of the Market, ( zone 9,13 and 15 ) will only be re-opened after due deliberation and approval by the national leadership of the regulatory body.

Surprisingly, in a move that has sent shock waves across Aba, some people claiming to be the new leadership of the market, allegedly using thugs, ordered the re-opening of the sealed three zones considered to be haven for manufacturers of fake and counterfeit products in the market .

Physically led by one Kingsley Igwe, the alleged the unknown people as gathered had in company with some of the identified dealers on fake products, stormed the market on Saturday February 1, and proceeded to unlock the sealed zones known for the notorious activities.

The group which claimed to be acting on the directive of the new market leadership headed by one Oba Moses, in addition to unlocking the sealed zone of the market, allegedly directed those whose shops are affected to report to their shops on Monday, 3rd February, 2025.

Destroyed fake wine

Daily News Nigeria reports that for one, since Friday, there has been palpable anxiety and confusion concerning the leadership status of the Market, as there have been conflicting reports concerning Government’s appointment of new interim leaderships for all the markets in the state .

Many Abia residents have expressed serious concern over the alleged re-opening of the fake products zones at the Eziukwu Road International Market, at a time, some issues have not been properly addressed..

All attempts to speak with the NFDAC South East Director ,on the development ,as at the time of reporting were unsuccessful .

Several calls and message put across ,were not responded to .

Instructively, the purported re-opening of the sealed session of the market,by persons claiming affinity with the Government,is coming at time the state authorities have vowed to root out the menace of fake and counterfeit products in the state.

Daily News Nigeria reports that at his monthly media parley on Friday January 31st, 2025 Governor Otti, promised to continue the war against adulterated products from where NAFDAC has stopped.

“I have directed my people in Government to ensure that we continue from where NAFDAC stopped.

“Our people are industrious and making a lot of things in Aba. So we encourage them to make their products and call them their names instead of faking other people’s products, or we will raid and stop them in their tracks.”

Otti advised all those involved in manufacturing concerns, to ensure they explore due processes, including obtaining NAFDAC registration nod, before engaging in their activities.

Otti, however reaffirmed the determination of the state Government to come down heavily on identified dealers on fake and counterfeit items .

He warned and said, “I do not have a problem with you making your own products, but I have a problem with you faking the products of somebody else and trying to pass it as original version

We are going to come down very hard on manufacturers of fake products, because they giving us ( Abia state ) a bad name and that is not acceptable.”

Editor
Jude Ossai (JP) a veteran journalist is a National Diploma holder in Mass Communication from Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. He also studied at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu and Imo State University, Owerri for his first and second degrees in Mass Communication, respectively. He writes extensively on politics, crime, corruption, climate change, healthcare, human rights, social justice, among others.
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Jude Ossai (JP) a veteran journalist is a National Diploma holder in Mass Communication from Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. He also studied at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu and Imo State University, Owerri for his first and second degrees in Mass Communication, respectively. He writes extensively on politics, crime, corruption, climate change, healthcare, human rights, social justice, among others.
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