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Soludo calls for stricter border control to stem fake drug imports
Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has urged the Federal Government to take immediate steps to halt the influx of counterfeit drugs into the country.
He emphasized the imperative for tighter control of the supply chain to stop dangerous products from reaching local markets.
His pleas come on the heels of disturbing finds in Onitsha’s markets, particularly the notorious Ọgbọ Ogwụ market, where regulators recently uncovered large quantities of falsified and banned drugs.
While local regulatory efforts continue, Soludo stressed that the solution must begin at the point of entry, where these dangerous products are first smuggled into the country.
The governor disclosed this in a statement on X.com on Sunday, following his visit to Onitsha on Saturday to inspect the Ọgbọ Ogwụ market and the nearby Plumbing Materials Market, which was recently shut down by regulatory authorities.
He wrote, “I visited the Ọgbọ Ogwụ and adjoining markets today in Onitsha. As the biggest open drug market in Africa, it is not surprising that federal agencies and regulatory bodies would, from time to time, visit the market to enforce standards and check the sale of fake, counterfeit, and controlled drugs.
“With drugs and related matters strictly under the Exclusive List, my visit today was interventionist. First, I sought to ascertain why other markets close to the drug market in Onitsha were closed.
“Away from the media sensation created by a few political actors, the leadership of the Plumbing Materials Market, which was shut down alongside the drug market, confirmed to me that the discoveries made by regulators in some shops were shocking and disturbing.”
“How these drugs, which have been banned globally and locally, are still being manufactured in India, pass through our various ports (sea and air), and find their way to our local drug markets remains a question only the relevant authorities can answer,” he wrote.
