Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewale, has given December 31, 2018 as deadline for relocation of Onitsha drug market to Coordinated Warehouse Centre (CWC) in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Adewale made the disclosure at the weekend when he visited the CWC site. The minister insisted that there would be no open drug market in the country by January 1, 2019.
He urged the leadership of the market, led by Uchenna Eze to immediately commence the construction at Oba to meet the deadline, saying no other place would be allowed for the CWC in the state.
The minister commended the state government and traditional ruler of Oba Eze Okpoko 1 for allocating the portion of the land for the new market.
He noted the land was “large enough to accommodate everybody in the market and I will come for the commissioning when completed next year”. Adewale said the federal government approved the Onitsha, Aba, Lagos and Kano for the CWC to checkmate and monitor the influx of fake, counterfeit and adulterated drugs into the country.