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TUC Protest Against Shutting Down Alcoholic Sachet Drink Factories By NAFDAC

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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 News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protest took place in front of NAFDAC’s office at Plot 1, Industrial Estate, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Isolo, Lagos State.

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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.

READ ALSO: NAFDAC Begins Enforcement Of Ban On Alcoholic Drinks In Sachets

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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.

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“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.

READ ALSO: Canadian Province Bans New Colleges From Enrolling International Students

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“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.

“And now, you want to lay off thousands of workers into the labour market that is already overstretched.

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“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,” he said.

READ ALSO: Otti Clears Air On N1.5billion For Two Hilux Vehicles In Abia Budget

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Idogen said that the Lagos State government raised the motion that alcoholic sachets were the cause of blocked drainage systems in the state.

What about others like nylon bags, plastic bottles and other things blocking the drainages.

“To label alcoholic sachets as the sole contributor to the blockages of drainage would be unfair,” he said.

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The vice-president also said that alcoholic sachet drinks was affordable and economical in quantity for those that don’t have enough money but still wanted to enjoy alcohol consumption.

“When you talk about the purchasing power of the masses, sachet alcoholic beverages is still more available for easy purchase.

“It is not everyone that has money to buy the expensive bottle so why are you trying to make life difficulty for the common man on the street?,” Idogen said.

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READ ALSO: Scare As Dead Goose Found In Crashed

Similarly, the Secretary of FOBTOB, Mr Anthony Oyagua, said that no fewer than 5,000 members had been put out of jobs and sent into the labour market.

“The labour market is already saturated and you have piled more problems on our nation’s economy by sending more people into that same market.

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“This does not represent President Bola Tinubu’s agenda for the renewed hope,” he said.

Oyagua said that the action would affect workers, suppliers, customers and most especially the local, state and federal government whose revenue drive will also drop in tune of billions of naira.

“We appeal to NAFDAC to help take a second look at this policy of government and help save our industry from imminent collapse and protect the jobs of millions of Nigerians nationwide,” he said.

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The Director, Drug and Evaluation Research, NAFDAC, Mr Kayode Amuda, said that the agency’s focus was to shutdown the alcoholic line production because of its negative effects on the society.

Our critical focus is to protect the health of the nation because a lot of our children and youths have been made redundant as a result of easy access to these sachet drinks.

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“We have been on the front burner of this message for long and have been telling the manufacturers about this impeding change but we keep on shifting goal post.

“However, we have to take a step toward enforcement and address this because it is ruining the life of our children and youths in the country.

“Our focus in NAFDAC is to put a stop to the production of alcoholic sachet beverages,” the NAFDAC representative said.

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Armed Bandits Attack Mopol Camp, Cart Away Rifles In Kebbi

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Kebbi State Government has confirmed that a group of armed bandits attacked a Mobile Police post in Makuku, located in the Zuru Local Government Area, and made away with an undisclosed number of rifles.

The Director of Security at the Cabinet Office, Abdulrahman Zagga, disclosed this to journalists in Bagudo Local Government Area on Saturday.

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According to Zagga, the mobile police post, which was manned by visiting officers, came under heavy attack from a large group of bandits numbering in the hundreds. Despite engaging the attackers in a fierce gun battle, the officers were ultimately overpowered.

The bandits burnt a Toyota Hilux patrol vehicle belonging to the unit and escaped with an undisclosed number of rifles,” he stated.

READ ALSO:Israel Wants Global Action Against Iran’s Nuclear Plans

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Zagga clarified that it was not a police station that was attacked, as some reports claimed, but a temporary mobile police post. He added that the mobile police officers were forced to withdraw due to the overwhelming number of assailants.

He further revealed that upon learning of the attack, the state government requested air support from the Nigerian Air Force, which helped force the bandits to retreat.

“No casualties were recorded during the incident,” Zagga said. “Most of the bandits infiltrated from neighbouring Zamfara and Niger States.”

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He explained that Makuku village shares a border with Niger State, making it vulnerable to such attacks.

READ ALSO:Kebbi Govt Mulls Death Penalty For Bandit Informants

Zagga also emphasised that, unlike some neighbouring states, Kebbi State has no peace agreements with any bandit groups or their leaders.

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He pointed out that informants remain a major obstacle in the fight against banditry and noted that attacks tend to intensify during the rainy season due to extortion tactics used against farming communities.

Once they demand money from a community and it is paid, the bandits may temporarily leave that community alone. But once the money runs out, they move on to another community to extort. That’s why many communities remain in constant fear,” he added.

However, Kebbi State Command Police image maker, CSP, Nafiu Abubakar, could not be reached for comment as of the time of filing this report.

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I Will Not Move Out Of My Husband’s House, Divorced Woman Tells Court

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A mother of six, Latinate Sanusi, has told a Shari’a court in Magajin Gari, Kaduna, Kaduna State, that she cannot leave her former husband’s house after three pronouncement of divorce.

Latinate stated this in response to Abdulrazak Yunusa’s prayer to confirm the three pronouncement of divorce he made to her and compel her to leave his house.

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“My children are all girls and I intend to stay so that I can take care of them; after all he does not provide most of their needs,” she said.

READ ALSO:‘I Found Out That My Husband Was A Cultist, Drug Addict One Month Into Our Marriage’

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the complainant told the court that he takes care of his family adding that he divorced her because she was not submissive.

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The judge, Malam Kabir Muhammad after listening to both parties confirmed the three pronouncement of divorce between the couple.

He explained that there was no marriage between the couple until the woman remarries.

What is before me is a suit on confirmation of divorce; the issue of children custody can be filed as a fresh case,” he said.

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Court Dissolves Marriage On Couple’s Agreement

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An Area Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, has dissolved the Islamic marriage between one Mujidat Abdullahi and Muyideen Raji based on mutual agreement.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the presiding judge, Toyin Aluko, in his ruling said that the husband sent a letter to the court, saying that he has agreed to the divorce application of his wife.

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Aluko said that since the two parties have agreed to divorce, there was no need to prolong the case.

He added that marriage should not be forced on anyone.

Aluko, therefore, dissolved their marriage and awarded custody of the only child of their marriage to the wife, due to the child’s young age.

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READ ALSO: My Ex-wife Wants To Kill Me, Man Cries To Court

The court ordered that the woman should observe the iddah (waiting) period before she could remarry again.

It also ordered that a copy of the ruling be made available to the husband.

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Raji was ordered to pay the sum of N10,000 monthly for the child’s feeding and upkeep.

He was also granted the opportunity to have unlimited access to the child, but at a reasonable time.

Earlier, the wife had told the court that she was tired of the marriage due to lack of love and care, adding that she wanted divorce.

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