Court to determine relocation of Kano patent medicine dealers

AFederal High Court in Kano has reserved judgement in a suit challenging the forceful relocation of patent medicine dealers to a coordinated wholesale centre in the Kanawa Economic City located at Dan Gwauro in the outskirts of Kano metropolis.

Justice Simon A. Amobede, after hearing all pending applications of the plaintiff’s and defendants’ counsels, reserved judgement on a date to be communicated to parties.

The Kano State chapter of the Nigerian Association of Patent Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPED) is challenging the relocation of business address of its members to the Kanawa Economic City.

The plaintiffs asked the court to determine whether the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria has the power to relocate medicine dealers from their present registered and approved business address at Malam Kato Square, Mai Karami Plaza and parts of Sabon Gari to another location owned by individuals and at an exorbitant rent of N2million per shop.

The Kano State Government had said the relocation was part of its plan to sanitise the business from the sale of illicit, fake and substandard drugs.

The counsel to the plaintiffs, Abdulaziz Adam Muhammad had, while adopting his written address and affidavits, prayed the court to grant the wish of his clients to remain at their present business address.

The court had earlier granted an interim injunction restraining the defendants from harassing and forcing the medicine dealers to relocate to the Kanawa Economic City pending the final determination of the case.

The attorney-general of Kano State, who is the 7th defendant in the case, through a state counsel, asked the presiding judge to dismiss the suit.

Other defendants prayed the court to dismiss the application of the plaintiffs, saying the relocation was in the interest of the public.