Tension As Leadership Re-Open Market Sealed By NAFDAC Over Fake Products

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Some unknown persons have reportedly unsealed a session of the embattled Eziukwu Road International Market, Aba, which was closed by  National Agency  for Food Drug Administration and Control NFDAC, after its raid of the market.

The development came just a day after the Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, on Friday, January 31, at a Media chat, promised to collaborate with the regulatory agency to rid the State of all forms of  fake and counterfeit products.

The Source reports that NAFDAC had, between December 16 and 17 last year, raided the market and sealed over 300 shops and business premises identified as  productions and distribution sites for adulterated essential items.

The surprise raid, the second since 2023, led to the seizure and destruction of counterfeit products worth over N5 billion.

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 .

But in a move that has sent shock waves across the State, some persons claiming to be the new leadership of the market, allegedly  using thugs, ordered the re-opening of the sealed area considered to be haven for merchants of fake and counterfeit products in the market.

Available information indicates that some persons led by one Kingsley Igwe, had in company with some of the identified dealers in fake products, stormed the market on Saturday February 1, and proceeded to unlock the sealed session.

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 session of the market, allegedly, directed those whose shops were affected to report to their shops on Monday .

Since Friday, there have been palpable anxiety and confusion concerning the leadership status of the Market.

There are conflicting reports concerning Government’s  appointment of new interim leaderships for all the markets in the State.

But in the main, not a few  have expressed serious concern over the alleged re-opening of the fake products session of the Eziukwu Road 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 vowed to root out the menace of fake and counterfeit products in the state .

At his monthly media parley on Friday January 31,2025, 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”, the Governor noted .

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

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

” 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 are giving us (Abia state) a bad name and that is not acceptable ” Governor Otti warned .