Olushola Omogbehin
Staffers of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association, FOBTOB, in a protest yesterday outside the Lagos office of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, demanded the suspension of ban on sachet alcohol.
Vanguard reports that the protesting workers, who are from the companies affected by the ban, asked NAFDAC to release the products seized and that factories and depots closed during enforcement operations should be opened.
During the protest, the workers also accused the agency of ignoring directives from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, and the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA.
They demanded therefore that, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, should obey the directive of federal government which had ordered the suspension of sachet alcohol ban enforcement pending further clarification.
Stakeholders have also said that continued enforcement and sealing facilities, contrcdicted the spirit of the SGF’s clarification, thereby leading to economic losses, job disruptions, and potential hardship on workers.
However, there were no reports of violence as security presence around the NAFDAC office was heightened.
Reacting, Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the agency had not received any formal communication from the Federal Government ordering a halt to its regulatory activities concerning sachet alcohol products.
“The said publication is false, misleading, and does not reflect any official communication received by the Agency from the Federal Government,” NAFDAC stated.
Adding, Adeyeye said the agency operates purely within its statutory mandate and in agreement with duly communicated government policies and directives.
Enforcement actions therefore according to her remain guided by existing laws and regulatory frameworks.
“At no time has the Agency received any formal directive ordering the suspension of its regulatory or enforcement activities in respect of sachet alcohol products,” Adeyeye said.
She further said that NAFDAC has started the evaluation of violative sachet alcohol and alcohol in PET bottles of less than 200ml because about 50 per cent of underage persons patronize retailers of such products.
She warned members of the public against spreading unverified information because such reports could cause unnecessary public anxiety, economic uncertainty, and misinterpretation of government policy.
“NAFDAC therefore urges members of the public, industry stakeholders, and the media to disregard false reports and to rely only on verified information issued through the Agency’s official platforms and authorized government communication channels,” Adeyeye said.
