From.Desmond Mgboh, Kano
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control( NAFDAC) has sealed a total of 1321 patent medical shops in Kano State.
The enforcement which took place across the weekend at Sabon- Garri market, Niger Road drug market and Mallam Kato Square market followed the judgement of a Federal High Court in Kano on Friday which ruled against the members of the medical dealers Association in the state.
In a cordinated operation with the Pharmacuitcal Council of Nigeria (PCN), the agency insisted that the medicine dealers must vacate the open drug markets and relocate to the Cordinated Wholesale Center along Zaria Road where they can be better regulated.
Speaking at a press conference, NAFDAC Director of Investigation and Enforcement Francis Ononiwu explained that the measure was designed to sanitize the drug distribución channel in the state and protect the public against fake and sub standard drugs.
He argued that the wholesale distribución center would allow for better storage of the drugs, facilitate regulation of oprrators by regulatiry bodies as well as duscourage other criminal tendencies.
While speaking also, the Director Enforcement Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, Stephen Esumobi enjoined the patent medicine dealers in the state to move to to Wholesale center in line with the provision of the law.
Meanwhile, hundreds of these medical dealers, marched to the Government House, Kano, Monday to launch their complaints over moves to sack them from their shops and deny them their means of livelihood.
Chairman of the association of patent and Propeitorship medical dealers in the state. Musbahu Khalid who spoke at the Government House told the governor that they were being forced to relocate to a chain of shops that were too expensive for their members to rent.
They appealed to the state government to recover the Warehouse Center from the private developer and rent them out to them at a reasonable rates.
The governor, represented by his Chief of Staff, Shehu Shagagi assured that the state government would seat with their leaders for further discussion, pledging that government would eventually come up with an option that would be fair to all.