Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
The leadership crisis rocking the Ogbogwu (Drug) International Market, Bridgehead, Onitsha, Anambra State has been laid to rest as state government constituted a 57-man Caretaker Committee to pilot the affairs of the market.
As it stands now, peace has returned to the biggest drug market in South-East zone following the inauguration and presentation of the leaders to the traders during the monthly prayers at the market.
The new Chairman of the market Mr. Donatus Ajamma while addressing the traders commended the Commissioner of Trade and Commerce Chief Uchenna Okafor for bringing all factions together to ensure that peace exist in the market.
He however dissolved all the unions and task-forces in the market except the COVID-19 task force  and advised the traders to willingly submit/surrender to his office all the expired and fake products in their possession to be taken to NAFDAC for destruction which he said some of traders had started doing.
Ajamma said that his leadership would not tolerate any unwholesome, adulterated products or fake drugs in the market, warning that anybody caught in such act would be handed over the security operatives and NAFDAC for prosecution.
“We have come to bring lasting peace in the market. We should try and forgive those who offended us in the past in order to move the market forward. As you can see Ogbogwu is calm and peaceful now because all the factions have been brought together to move the market forward.
“I hereby dissolve all the unions and Taskforce operating in the market to enable those with fake drugs and expired drugs to return them to our office to be given to NAFDAC for destruction. Then, after the grace period and we settled down for business any trader found with expired, fake drug and unwholesome or adulterated products would be handed over to security operatives.
“We are one now in this market and there is no more factions because we are working as one team to make Ogbogwu a better place to do business. We are going to bring together the Market Prayer and Evangelism  in the market.
Ajamma said that among the major markets in Onitsha, Drug market remains the best in keeping to the rules and regulations especially protocols of COVID-19.
On his agenda he said: “I believe that action speaks louder than voice. We have so many things to do in this market, first to restore peace in the market. We want to bring back those of our brothers, sisters and customers who doesn’t come to market again to return.
“We want our customers who come from different parts  states and nations that stopped coming due to one problem or the other, that they  should please start coming because peace has been restored and those hiccups had been removed.