Kano Unity Forum has Described the decision taken by the State Government to relocate the pharmaceutical market in Sabon Gari to the new economic city at Dangwauro as timely, and a good decision as it represents the interest of the general public.
The Leader of the group, Alhaji Gidado Mukhtar disclosed this during a brief conference held at the NUJ Press Centre Kano on Saturday.
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He said Kano City has been generally known and regarded as a commercial nerve center of the African Savannah from Dakar to Port Sudan, and has cultivated a trading network for over 500 years.
Muktar noted that the prosperous status of Kano predated Colonial Nigeria and it was one of the reasons that made the British determined to exploit its natural and human endowments.
He recalled that Kano textile products were competing in North Africa with those produced in Manchester, UK.
”In recent years, various calculated attempts have been made to destroy Kano through the importation of dangerous and illicit drugs. The sad development has become the greatest threat to Kano’s future and by extension Northern Nigeria “
Muktar noted that, ”This orchestrated drug’s war is a carefully planned war that is unleashed on our youths and our future generations. Many of these drug dealers operate openly in the Muhammad Abubakar Rimi Market, Sabon Gari, which is a clear violation of the relevant Federal and State Laws.”
He said from statistics obtained from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency the situation is very alarming.
“The figures clearly indicate that from the beginning of this year, that is January to date, Psychotropic substances seized in Kano included 5,040,000 pills of Tramadol weighing 267.4kg and 249,000 tablets of Exol-5 weighing 81.9kg.This is within a span of less than 60 days.
“We cannot fold our arms and watch helplessly while the future of our society and that of our human resource is systematically destroyed.”
Recall that the Kano State Government, disturbed by this sordid state of affairs, initiated through Public Private Partnership, the establishment of a modern pharmaceutical market within the new Kano Economic City at Dangwauro.
This is to allow for proper regulation, control and monitoring of unlawful and other criminal activities. The new market meets all the global best practices standards.
“Unfortunately, in spite of all the modern facilities provided in the new Dangwauro market, those involved in the illicit trade have deployed all means at their disposal to resist and frustrate the directives to move to the new market.
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The perpetrators, represented by the Incorporated Trustees of Association of Igbo Medicine Dealers, Kano, even went to the extent of instituting a legal action against the directives, which the court recently ruled against them.”
“We, as elders and patriotic citizens of our beloved State would like to make it
clear that this unfortunate development will no longer be tolerated. It should also be clearly understood that we are speaking with one voice over this. We are also determined to follow all legitimate ways and means to put a stop to this unfortunate development.” Mukhtar added.
