Peter Obi has faulted the alleged imposition of a N700,000 fee on shop owners to reopen their businesses at the Onitsha Head Bridge Market in Anambra State.

Mr Obi said, “It is, therefore, deeply unfortunate to learn that shop owners are now being asked to pay N700,000 to reopen their stores.”

The politician stated this on Tuesday on the microblogging site X.

His reaction stemmed from the action of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, which labelled the market the headquarters for the distribution of substandard and fake pharmaceuticals in the country and across Africa.

The agency carried out a nationwide enforcement operation between February 9 and March 27. 2025 targeted major open drug markets in Idumota (Lagos), Aba (Abia), and Onitsha (Anambra), thereby imposing fines on defaulters.

“As part of regulatory actions, investigative charges were imposed on the offending operators as stipulated in federal government regulations. These included a N5,000,000 investigative charge for the sale of unregistered products, which was reduced to N200,000 following appeals. A N2,000,000 investigative charge for violations of good storage and distribution practices reduced to ₦500,000 after further appeals.

“These penalties are officially gazetted charges and were applied fairly across the affected markets,” said NAFDAC director-general Mojisola Adeyeye in a statement earlier on Tuesday.

But Mr Obi said while he supported the closure of the shops to rid the market of fake drugs, he considered the fines too steep in a crumbling economy.

“Our MSMEs are at a ‘we can’t breathe’ stage, and the very system that should be offering them oxygen to support their survival is instead suffocating them. Even if the charges are statutory, given the dire state of the economy today, they should be tempered with understanding.

“The emphasis should be on ensuring compliance with regulations while granting these business owners reasonable time to meet such requirements,” the opposition politician stated.

The former Anambra governor pointed out that the shop owners “have already faced” prolonged closures, mounting unpaid bills, and severe economic strain, and to now impose additional financial burdens on them “for structural issues beyond their control is not only unjust but also counterproductive”.

Mr Obi added, “In an economy where millions of small businesses are collapsing, the focus should be on relief and recovery, not punishment.

“It is time to act with compassion and common sense—drop the charges, reopen the market, and allow these entrepreneurs the opportunity to rebuild their livelihoods and contribute to the nation’s economy.”