No fewer than 10 persons were wounded Saturday afternoon, while goods worth millions of naira were destroyed following a stampede that resulted due to sporadic shooting by unknown gun men at the Bridge Head Drug Market former as Onitsha Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers Union, OPPMDU Onitsha.
Sunday Vanguard gathered that trouble resulted Saturday afternoon at about 12.50 pm when some youths wilding gun invaded the market, allegedly led by a contestant of anti-fake and substandard drug taskforce Chairman for the market, known as Anambra State Taskforce against Fake and Counterfeit Drug.
The taskforce was said to have been led by Mr Chibuzor Nwokege (aka Obele Prince) before he was removed by the former Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Wealth Creation, Dr Christian Madubuko, and replaced with Mr Emeka Ezeanyika.
The replacement was said to have not gone down well with Mr Nwokeji who was said to have been kicking and working to have his way back to the office, and while his successor Mr Ezeanyika is said to be favourably disposed with Dr Madubuko who on his new appointment as the state Commissioner for Transport, handed him over to his successor, Mr Uchenna Okafor.
However, Mr Nwokeji in a letter signed by the Chief of Staff to Governor Willie Obiano Mr Primus Odili, dated 20th November 2019 and copied to the Commissioner for Trade and Commerce, terminated Ezeanyika’s appointment asking him to hand over the office property including a Tayota Siena car attached to his office to the Secretary Mr. Nwokeji.
The letter from Mr Odili to Ezeanyika read: ‘Re termination of your interim appointmen’t “In pursuance of letter dated 3rd July, 2019 on the above, wherein you were appointed by the former Commissioner for Trade and Commerce, to take over in the interim the office of Taskforce from Chibuzor Nwokeji, (aka Obeke Prince) who was officially appointed by the Chief of Staff to the Governor to take charge the secretariat of State Taskforce on Fake and Adulterated Drugs in Anambra State, your said appointment is hereby terminated and seizes to have no effect.
“Take note that the said termination is with immediate effect and you are consequently directed to handover the office of the Taskforce and all the properties therein inclusive of the branded Toyota Sienna Car meant for the Taskforce to the Secretary, Mr Chibuzor Nwokeji.”
