Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, has assured traders at the Plumbing Materials Market in Onitsha that the market will be reopened within the next ten days. This follows its closure after regulatory agencies discovered large quantities of counterfeit and controlled drugs hidden in some shops within the market.
Governor Soludo, who visited the market and the adjoining Ọgbọ Ọgwụ drug market, confirmed that the search operation by regulatory agencies is ongoing at the Plumbing Materials Market. Authorities are combing through shops to identify and remove counterfeit and globally banned drugs that were illegally stored and sold within the market.
The governor described the discoveries as “shocking and disturbing,” raising serious concerns about how these illegal drugs—many of which have been banned globally—are still being produced abroad, smuggled through Nigeria’s ports, and sold locally. He emphasized that while cracking down on fake drugs is necessary, genuine traders should not suffer prolonged disruptions.
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To provide a long-term solution, the state government is constructing a coordinated wholesale drug center in Oba, Idemili South LGA, where a new and standardized Ọgbọ Ọgwụ market will be relocated. This move aims to regulate pharmaceutical sales, eliminating the current chaotic system that allows counterfeit drugs to thrive.
Soludo reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to making Onitsha a safer and more organized commercial hub, stating, “We will not allow fake drugs to endanger our people, but we must also ensure legitimate businesses are not unfairly affected. In less than ten days, traders at the Plumbing Materials Market will resume their lawful activities.”
May Anambra continue to win.
