Labour protests at NAFDAC over ban on sachet alcoholic beverages

Labour protests at NAFDAC over ban on sachet alcoholic beverages

Organised Labour, yesterday, stormed the Lagos office of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, over the ban and shut down of production lines of companies manufacturing alcoholic drinks in sachets and small bottles below 200ml.

Led by leaders of Trade Union Congress, TUC, of Nigeria and Food, Beverages and Tobacco Senior Staff Association, FOBTOB, Labour rejected the ban on the production of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small bottles by the Federal Government, saying no fewer than 45,000 jobs and billions of Naira investments are at the risk of going down the drain.

The protesting workers, who stormed NAFDAC’s office at Plot 1, Industrial Estate, Apapa-Oshodi expressway, Isolo, Lagos State, displayed placards with various inscriptions, to convey their grievances.

The protest followed a two-day enforcement exercise by NAFDAC operatives in Ota, Ogun State, leading to the shutting down of some factories,

NAFDAC seals production lines

Vanguard gathered that NAFDAC’s enforcement’s team was led by Mr. Adeniran Kazeem, which swooped on beverage firms in the Sango-Ota area of Ogun State, sealed the production lines in companies such as Shash Industries Limited located in Iyesi- Ota, Nigerian Distilleries Limited, Intercontinental Distilleries Limited among others.

Speaking on what led to the operations, Kazeem said “There was a committee of the Federal Ministry of Health and NAFDAC on one hand, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, and the Industry represented by the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers, AFBTE, Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria, DIBAN, in December 2018. The committee agreed that such items should no longer be produced or imported from December 31, 2023.

Protesters

Meanwhile, addressing the protesters, Vice-President of TUC, Mr. Emmanuel Idogen, said among others, that several workers had already been rendered jobless from the factories shut down by NAFDAC, saying “We all know the economic hardship we are facing in the country presently. Price of fuel has increased, prices of food are increasing on a daily basis and there is inflation. Some of the people earn their living to feed their family and dependents from the factory that you have shut down.

“Invariably, there will be more families exposed to hunger and I believe this will have a negative impact on the society. Many companies in the country, as a result of the harsh economic indices of doing business, have been under strain. Now, you want to lay off thousands of workers into the labour market that is already overstretched. What do you expect them to do in order to feed and cater for the needs of their family?

“We are appealing to NAFDAC to suspend the directive to shutdown the production of alcoholic sachets drinks for the posterity of the masses.”

45,000 jobs at risk

Speaking to Vanguard, President of FOBTOB, Jimoh Oyibo, said the protest at NAFDAC’s office in Lagos was a warning action, informing that Labour would be at the National Assembly today to present its case against the ban.