The Kano Medicine Dealers have raised concern over what they term ‘illegal charges’ of N300,000 by National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) before gaining access to their premises at Sabon Gari market.
Besides, the embattled pharmaceutical proprietors also accused the Federal government agencies of flagrant disobedience to court order that instructed the military to vacate their Sabon Gari and Mallam Kato premises pending the hearing of a fundamental human right suit before a Federal high court in Kano.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Chairman of Nigeria Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers, Kano chapter, Musbau Khalid said medicine dealers have been subjected to untold hardship in the name of regulation since the controversial relocation ensued.
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Khalid regretted that over 5,000 medicine dealers who could not access their goods have been thrown out business after the security deployment.
Khalid said apart from denying his members the rightful access to their properties, the occupation of the military has cost huge economic lost as sensitive drug in the stores may have loss potentency.
Although, Khalid acknowledged the judgment of Justice Simon Amobede of the Federal high court which ordered them to relocate to the new Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) at Dangwaro village along Zaria road, he insisted that the judgment did not asked NAFDAC and PCN to take possession of their goods at Sabon Gari.
Moreover, Khalid emphasized that, while the medicine dealers had since proceeded to appeal the judgment of the lower court, it’s has also secured another ruling of Justice A. M Liman of the Federal high court, Kano which granted an exparte motion, asked all parties to maintain status quo.
He however worried that the security have continued to denying free access to their premises in Sabon Gari, except for those willing to pay the sum of N300,000 being charged by NAFDAC and PCN.
The dealers therefore appealed to Kano state government and highly placed personalities to urgently intervene in the raging crisis to forestall a needles breakdown of law and order.
Effort to get reaction of NAFDAC and PCN was not successful as non of the representatives could be reached as at press time.