By Akinwale Kasali
Following its NJfailure to comply with the directives of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, on the ban on Sachet and PET Bottles below 200ml Alcoholic Drinks, NAFDAC has sealed three factories in Ogun State.
Kunle Ojo, NAFDAC’s Assistant Director on Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, confirmed the sealing the of Factories, stressing that the enforcement followed continued production of alcoholic products in packaging prohibited under existing regulatory directives.
The enforcement was carried out in Sango-Ota and Idi-Iroko axis of Ogun State.
Ojo stated that the factories sealed were Intercontinental Distilleries Ltd., Shashi Distillery Ltd. and an undisclosed factory owned by Nigeria Distillery Ltd.
Ojo further added that the undisclosed factory was discovered as a result of the agency’s ongoing second phase of nationwide enforcement of the Federal Government’s ban on the products.
The agency began enforcement on the ban of sachet and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic drinks in January, leading to nationwide protest from Distilleries Companies and their Unions.
Announcing the sealing of the Companies, Ojo stated that officials earlier visited Nigeria Distillery Ltd. at Kilometre 14, Idi-Iroko Road, but found nothing, thereafter, received intelligence report on the company’s undisclosed factory on July 24.
He said that prohibited packing materials of banned pet alcohol beverages below 200ml and sachet nylon were discovered, describing it as mind-boggling.
“We discovered uncountable 100ml alcoholic bottles, packaging materials for sachets and already producing sachet alcohol still on production machines at the facility.
“We also noticed today that after sealing the factory some of the items we found on Friday are missing, this is a serious violation and it will be dealt with administratively,” Ojo said.
He added that the agency had previously visited Intercontinental Distilleries and Shashi in January to stop the use of 22 machines producing sachet alcoholic drinks and evacuated packaging materials for alcohol beverages below 200ml.
Ojo noted that during its visit on July 24, the agency discovered old packaging materials for alcohol beverages below 200ml at the factories prompting NAFDAC to seal the factory.
“When we came in last week, we discovered old packaging materials and those machines we placed on hold were producing the banned products again.
“This is exactly why we decided to close down the entire factory because what NAFDAC said they should not produce, they are secretly producing,” he said.
Ojo said that NAFDAC would continue to intensified effort to sanitise the country of banned products to safeguard public health.
He urged Nigerians to report any suspicious activity on production of such banned alcohol production to the nearest NAFDAC office.
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