Onitsha Drugs Market Closure Activists Embark on Self Imposed Hunger Strike

Human Rights Activists and Social Crusader Comrade Evangelist Vincent Ezekwueme AMBP-UN has embarked on seven days self imposed hunger strike over the continues closure of Onitsha Drugs Market and adjoining markets as a result of purported buying and selling of adulterated, expired, substandard and unwholesome drugs.

Addressing press conference yesterday Ezekwueme stated that he decided to embark on the self imposed hunger strike to draw the attentions, mercy, love and empathy of Mr. President His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Members of National Assembly, NAFDAC and Nigerians to unbearable excruciating sufferings, agony, plights, predicaments of the Onitsha Drugs Market traders for more than 50 days their shops where closed by NAFDAC.

Early this morning a successful businessman at Onitsha Drugs Market has called me and told me that his four children are now out of schools, his landlord has threatened to evict him over non payment of house rent, most pathetic is that they have nothing to eat since three days ago,i broke down in tears.

Pertinently, I embarked on this hard, painful but patriotic self imposed hunger strike in solidarity to share in the excruciating sufferings of the affected traders, their families, loved ones, dependents and most importantly their children who are now out of schools as a result of closure of their parents only source of livelihood that necessitated non payment of their school fees.

Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme who is also Chairman of Civil Liberties Organization CLO Anambra State Branch lamented that they have earlier made three patriotic and live savings appeals to both His Excellency President Tinubu and NAFDAC for reopening of the affected markets to no avail, hence the hunger strike become ineluctable and inexorable.

President Tinubu as a democrat who abhors injustices and fought vigorously towards the de-annulment of June 12th Presidential election, also as father of the nation should kindly harken to cries and predicaments of his citizens, the affected traders by directing NAFDAC to unconditionally reopen the closed markets as well as directs them to rescind the imposition of #500,000 levy on the traders as most of them don’t have the wherewithal and some of them find it very difficult if not impossible to feed their families.

It will be recall that Comrade Ezekwueme embarked on similar hunger strike during the annulment of June 12th 1993 Presidential election, as well as during the abductions of both Chibok and Diapchi students.

According to John Holmes “the only good motive in politics is the motive of doing good for ones country and her citizens.

Let us share in the agony and pathetic conditions of the affected traders and be our brothers keepers.