FOBTOB Urges NAFDAC to Obey FG’s Directive on Sachet Alcoholic Drinks

Raheem Akingbolu

Members of the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB) have cautioned the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, to respect the directives jointly issued by the offices of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and National Security Adviser, ordering a suspension of the sachet alcohol ban enforcement pending further clarification on implementation.

The order, which has been circulating on social media, is yet to be rebutted by the two offices. However, Prof. Adeyeye, in response to the report halting sachet alcohol ban enforcement by the federal government, described the publication as false and misleading, noting that it did not reflect any official communication from the federal government.

Angered by NAFDAC’s reaction, the members of the affected distillers companies, barricaded the Lagos office of the NAFDAC office in protest against the continued ban on sachet alcoholic drinks.

The protest, which commenced around 7:00 a.m yesterday, had hundreds of the workers who blocked the entrance of the facility, disrupting operations and preventing several cars and vehicles from accessing the premises.

Speaking at the protest ground, National Vice President, West, FOBTOB, Comrade Kolawole Buhari, said that the reports credited to the two offices were considered credible by the union, expressing disappointment that the DG of  NAFDAC later dismissed the reports as false.

He argued that if the reports had not emanated from the federal government, an official rebuttal would have been issued by the appropriate authorities.

He confirmed that efforts are being made by its national leadership in Abuja, which was also holding protest in NAFDAC Abuja office to obtain a certified copy of the directive.

He noted that the union had consistently engaged NAFDAC on the issue of alcohol regulation, particularly regarding underage access.

“When you say children have access to alcohol, the issue is that children don’t just have access on their own. It is somebody that actually give them or take it to them. So the culprit is actually the elderly person that actually make the children to have access to it.”

He advised that the national alcohol policy should be revisited to hold anyone violating the policy and hold them accountable, instead of closing down the entire industry because of isolated cases.

On possible legal action, Buhari said the union remains committed to dialogue but would not rule out seeking redress in court if necessary.

“As a responsible body, we do not believe in violence. We believe in dialogue. But if that fails, the court is there to interpret the policy and address the issues,” he stated.

In his remarks, Ogun State Chairman of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees, Comrade Godwin Ahoh, raised concerns about how the ban would deteriorate their factory equipment, warning that 5.5 million Nigerians have already lost their jobs.

He said: “As we speak right now, the machines are idle. Because they have not been running for some time, they are seriously affected. In distilled companies like ours, some blended products are still in tanks. Normally, we should have produced them, but since production has stopped, they are at risk of deterioration.”