SACHET ALCOHOL BAN: MINISTER OF HEALTH PROMISED TO LOOK INTO GRIEVANCES FOR RESOLUTION

 

 

 

By Joseph Erunke

As protests continue to trail the ban on satchet alcohol by the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, has promised to intervene for amicable resolution of the issues.

Addressing protesting members of Food, Beverage & Tobacco Senior Staff Association in Abuja yesterday, the minister assured that he would address the grievances arising from he ban.

A statement by the ministry’s Director of Information, Deworitshe Patricia, read:  ”The Coordinating Minister,  Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare,  Professor Ali Pate, has assured that the ministry would endeavour to address the grievances borne  by the members of Food, Beverage & Tobacco Senior Staff Association.

“The minister stated this while addressing members of the association, who were at the ministry’s headquarters on Wednesday (yesterday) in Abuja on a peaceful protest on the ban of sachet and pet bottled alcoholic beverages.

“While appealing to the aggrieved group, the minister, who was represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary,  Kachallom Daju, promised to look into their complaints to chart a way forward.

“What l am saying now is that we have heard your grievances, this is a listening government, we are going to discuss with partners, Trade Union Congress and other members on the way forward.”

Earlier in his speech, the National President,  Food, Beverage & Tobacco Senior Staff Association, Comrade Jomoh Oyibo, expressed the association’s dissatisfaction on the ban imposed on the manufacturing, sales and consumption of alcoholic beverages in sachets and pet bottles by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control, NAFDAC.

association’s dissatisfaction on the ban imposed on the manufacturing, sales and consumption of alcoholic beverages in sachets and pet bottles by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control, NAFDAC.

He explained that NAFDAC had recently banned and sealed over 25 companies producing sachet and pet bottled alcoholic drinks, with a view to curbing alcoholic abuse which has affected the entrepreneurs, dependants and the workforce negatively.

He asserted that considering the present economic dynamics in Nigeria, the timing for the ban was not right and appealed to the ministry for timely intervention.