By Amuda Dan Sulaiman Fab
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Food, Beverages and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB) on Tuesday held a peaceful protest against the National Agency Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC)’s directive to shut down companies manufacturing alcoholic sachet drinks.
The protest took place in front of NAFDAC’s office at Plot 1, Industrial Estate, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Isolo, Lagos State.
NAFDAC in 2018, had given a directive to stop the production of alcoholic beverages and drinks in sachets and bottles below 200ml with effect from Jan. 31, 2024.
Also, NAFDAC had in January 2022 suspended the registration of alcoholic beverages in sachet as well as small volume PET and glass bottles below 200ml.
This led to a two-day enforcement exercise which was recently carried out in Ota, Ogun State, leading to the shutting down of some factories.
The Vice-President of TUC, Mr Emmanuel Idogen, said that a lot of people had already been rendered jobless from the factories shut down by the regulatory agency .
Idogen said that though he was not against NAFDAC carrying out their duty, but to shut down the livelihood of thousands of people at a time of economic hardship was inhumane.
“We all know the economic hardship we are facing in the country presently. Price of fuel has increased, prices of food is 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,” he said.
The vice-president said that many companies in the country, as a result of the harsh economic indices of doing business, had been under strain due to limited available jobs.
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