The Olota of Ota, Oba Abdulkabir Adeyemi Obalanlege, has urged Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, the head of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), to reconsider the ban on alcoholic sachets and small pet bottles below 200ml.
He expressed concern about laying off workers during the current economic period, emphasizing that the advantages of the products outweighed the disadvantages.
At his palace, where representatives and workers of the 25 affected beverage companies paid a visit, the monarch highlighted the products’ role in foreign exchange earnings.
“I sympathize with you workers; this is not the right time for layoffs.
The advantages of these productive workers, contributing to beverage companies, are significant, especially since many of these sachet drinks are meant for export, generating much-needed foreign exchange for our country.
“The benefits of producing these sachet drinks outweigh the disadvantages at this point.
I urge the Director General, NAFDAC, Prof. Adeyeye, to reconsider and assess the potential unemployment impact. “I believe that the disadvantages of banning these drinks cannot outweigh the advantages of exporting these products.
According to my findings, these drinks are mostly exported to West African countries and Europe. “I appeal to the presidency to intervene and ensure none of these workers lose their jobs. I will continue to pray and do whatever is within my capacity to save your jobs,” concluded Obalanlege.
In an earlier statement, Anthony Oyagha, Branch Secretary of the Food and Beverages Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB), pointed out that most of the banned companies are in Ogun State, within the monarch’s domain in Ota.
He contested NAFDAC’s claims of psychological difficulties in children drinking alcoholic beverages, emphasizing that the affected companies had invested over 800 million naira in specialized equipment for sachet products.
Oyagha questioned the potential impact on unemployment figures if the ban persists, highlighting that all workers have been jobless since NAFDAC shut down their factories on February 1, 2024.
Protesters, led by trade and labor union leaders, gathered at the Fowobi end of Sango-Idiroko Road at 8 am, marching through Oju Ore and Ado Odo Ota Local Government Council road to the Olota of Ota’s palace.
Their placards bore various inscriptions, including ‘Unemployment leads to crime and social vices, save our jobs,’ ‘NAFDAC working against Nigerian Government,’ and ‘Let the Masses Breathe.’