From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
The controversy over where the new Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) market for drug distribution in Anambra State for the South East zone will be sited has been laid to rest, as the federal and state governments as well as the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) and other stakeholders reaffirmed their endorsement of the Oba drug distribution centre site.
This followed the flag-off of the construction of 2,516 shops by Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, at the old Oba International Market along Onitsha-Owerri Expressway in Idemili South Local Government Area of the state, after five years of controversy and delay by the previous administration of the state.
The Federal Government had prohibited open medicine markets in the country, which necessitated the construction of a new centre for relocation of the drug distribution centres in Lagos, Kano and Anambra states.
In the search for a suitable land to build the market in Anambra, a vast tract of land, with over 50 hectares at about 492,385,900 square metres in Oba was found at former Oba International Market.
The former minister of health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, in 2017, visited the site and approved the place for the project. Also, the PCN led then by Elijah Mohammed and Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, (PSN) visited and approved the site.
The new wholesale drug centre which is being constructed is inline with the PCN standard and specification of Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) as obtainable across the western countries.
When the project is completed, the existing drug (Ogbogwu) market at Bridgehead Market in Onitsha, and other drug markets in Onitsha, Awka, Nnewi and Ekwulobia would be closed and moved to the new distribution centre.
Soludo, while laying the foundation stone of the centre, said that all the open drug markets and vendors would be shutdown and ceased to exist in the next 24 months in the state.
The governor said that all the drug markets and shops in markets such as Ogbogwu Bridgehead, Ose, Ochanja, Relief as well as others across the state would be closed to give way for the CWC when completed in Oba.
He said that the construction of the new drug centre will not take more than 24 months and after which all the drug dealers across the state would relocate to the place for drug distributions and sales. This, he said, will reduce the influx of fake and adulterated drugs in the state.
The governor said: “Let me tell the Regent and people of Oba that we have come. A whole lot of things in the past about Oba seems to have been jinxed: the Oba international airport was jinxed, the Oba international market was jinxed and now the pharmaceutical hub that ought to the biggest in Africa was jinxed but today, my first day of coming into this land, the jinx is broken.
“We need a lot more from Oba community; I can see the vast land. With this drug distribution system here, we are also planning for industries and we are looking for 150 hectares of land to build pharmaceutical manufacturing hub so that together with the distribution hub will form an ecosystem for Africa. We need land for modern residential estate in Oba because with the kind of things coming up here, we are going to be having over 10, 000 shops.
“We have about 2516 shops with four persons in one shop it will be over 10, 000 persons and with the international market coming up, we shall be talking about a city as it were. We shall have modern technology-driven amenities that will become the city in Oba. So, we are here to say that the new journey has began, the jinx is broken, the CWC will take root here and this international market will have new breath and if Oba give us land a new city will emerge here also.”
Soludo said when completed, the project will become the biggest drug distribution center in Africa, adding that the initiative ties into his administration’s general vision of building a liveable and prosperous homeland.
He said the people’s health is paramount, stressing that it is the reason his government is fully committed to introducing measures for adequate regulation in the drug administration sector.
The governor added that the Oba site will become the only approved location for wholesale drugs distribution in the state after the deadline, expressing optimism that in line with the envisioned smart megacity, the center will be technology-driven.
Soludo also assured that the abandoned Oba International market will also be put to use, while looking forth to a nearby town to construct drug manufacturing companies to serve the drug centre in the state.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehinare, represented by the Director of Food and Drug Services in the ministry, Olubunmi Aribeana, in her speech commended the state government and other stakeholders for their doggedness to ensure the construction of the centre in the state.
She said that the new wholesale centre when completed will reduce the distribution of fake and adulterated drugs as well as other unwholesome activities in the open drug markets, explaining that the federal government was interested over the safety and healthy condition of its citizen.
The Registrar of PCN, Ibrahim Baba Shehu Ahmed, said that with the commencement of the building of the centre, Anambra State has joined other centres in Lagos and Kano states.
He said that there would be no going back in closure of open drug markets in the country to be replaced with Coordinated Drug Wholesale Centres where genuine drugs would be sold and distributed within the country.
He said that whoever that opposed the Coordinated Drug Centres being put in place now in the state should be seen as a criminal, arrested and prosecuted due to its enormous benefits.
Ahmed said: “The problem of drug distribution will come to an end because every regulatory and law enforcement agents like Police, NAFDAC, NDLEA and PCN will have their offices there and the issue of fake and adulterated drugs would be a thing of the past.
“We thank the federal government for this initiative and other agencies as well as the state government for their support for Oba land for the centre. Oba is the best site approved for the CWC project.”
In his welcome speech, the Chairman of Central Pharmaceutical and Allied Products Ltd, Mr. Uche Eze said that the project will be bankrolled by Sterling Bank and has a completion deadline of 24 months.
He described Soludo as God-sent to actualise the dream of the drug dealers and federal government policy in drug distribution and sales aimed at safe, genuine and quality drug distributions devoid of fake, adulation, substandard and expired drugs.
He said: “The federal drug distribution policy is to ensure that pharmaceutical products that are sold to the general public are guaranteed as being safe, genuine and of good quality. The policy equally ensures that the channel of distribution provides good platform for curtailing the dispensing of fake, adulterated, substandard and expired drug.
“The government policy on drug distribution is indeed a very welcome development as drug being chemical substances have the potentials to either cure or kill the society. Mr. Governor your visit to Oba to flag off the project will leave an indelible mark in the annals of the history of pharmaceutical and allied businesses in the state and its environs. Our fellowship and loyalty under the umbrella of the state is unquestionable and unalloyed.”
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike, who stressed the imperativeness of controlling the environment where drugs are sold, said that Anambra needs it because the existence of an open drug market leads to all kinds of distribution of fake and adulterated drugs which are inimical to human health.
The Regent of Oba community, Prince Noel Ezenwa, said the project will attract more investment to the town.
Ezenwa said: “I feel extremely delighted to have this gigantic project in my community. This is the beginning of a new dawn in my community Oba. Whatever is going to be shall definitely be, if it is God’s wish and that is what is happening today in Oba.
“We work with the youths and you saw them coming here en masse for solidarity to show you that the entire community is in support of the project. The centre will bring employment for the youths and other opportunities. We thank Governor Soludo for accepting our land for the project and we know that more will come as he promised.”