The Nigeria Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED), yesterday resolved to relocate their pharmaceutical business to the popular Dalar Gyada new complex near the Federal secretariat in Kano metropolis.
A Federal high court, sitting in Kano, recently delivered a Judgment directing the patent medicine dealers to vacate their Sabon Gari and Mallam Kato premises and relocate to Federal government approved Coordinated Wholesale Center (CWC), at Dangwaro village along Zaria road in the city.
The court had ruled in favor of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) which accused members of NAPPMED of perpetrating illicit activities.
Although, a significant percentage of the pharmaceutical dealers rejected NAFDAC and PCN option of relocating their businesses to CWC at Dangwaro village because of the high cost of rent and shortage of shops to accommodate the entire members, the authorities had shutdown their operations at Sabon Gari in the last two months.
Inspecting the new ultra modern complex at Dalar Gyada, NAPPMED Chairman, Musbau Khalid said the Union has sealed an agreement with private property agent managers of the complex to occupy the premises.
Besides, Khalid explained that Kano state government has certified Dalar Gyada complex as an alternative CWC option for patent medicine dealers who were not satisfied with the relocation of their businesses to Dangwaro CWC complex.
The medicine dealers who disabuse the minds of the public on alleged perpetration of illicit activities among the pharmaceutical operators however insisted that NAPPMED has provided duty posts for NAFDAC, PCN, and security agencies at the new complex to monitor their businesses.
He said NAPPMED was ready and committed to working with regulatory agencies and concerned authorities to sanitize the pharmaceutical industry and fish out perpetrators of counterfeit drugs in Kano.
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” We are here for final inspection of Dalar Gyada complex our near CWC before final relocation of members to the new premise. We have agreed to vacate Sabon Gari and Mallam Kato. But we vehemently rejected the option of relocating to Dangwaro market because of challenges involved.
” Apart from the fact that the shops at Dangwaro are not enough to accommodate over 5,000 members, the cost of renting shops at Dangwaro is not affordable. And we also realized that some private business men and property owners and not government invested in the shops and ready to make huge money from us. We would not accept that.
” We have agreed to occupy Dalar Gyada complex as alternative option provided by Kano state government. The issues of counterfeit drugs and insecurity have been taken care of because we engage the security here and we have also provided offices for NAFDAC and PCN to monitor the activities here”. Khalid said.