Labour Pushes for Stakeholders’ Meeting Over Sachet, PET Bottle Alcohol Drink Ban

The leadership of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB) and National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) have appealed to the federal government for dialogue to review frequent confrontations with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and hot drinks manufacturers.

In quest to find lasting solution to the confrontations between investors and government over manufacturing of sachets and pet bottled hot drinks and NAFDAC, the union leaders said, a stakeholders meeting is needed for both sides to have proper understanding of the side effects of future implementation on ban of the hot drinks.

The two Labour unions, in separate chats with LEADERSHIP reiterated their calls on federal government to summon critical policy makers’ meeting involving both House of Reps or Senate, manufacturers of hot drinks, the dealers and NAFDAC for permanent solutions than mere suspension of the implementation which means the implementation could be revived in the nearest future.

They, however, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the suspension but want a lasting solution to forestall future ban.

Suggesting that conveying stakeholders meeting will help save jobs of workers and sustain investors confidence, they said, suspension is just a temporary measure.

FOBTOB president, Comrade Jimoh Oyibo and NUFBTE president, Comrade Ibrahim Garba in separate chats with LEADERSHIP said, “Although we are happy for the suspension but we are using this medium to commend federal government for the suspension of the implementation, but suspension is not enough as it could be revisited for implementation tomorrow, we need complete solutions than suspension.

“By describing it as suspended, it means it would be brought from under the carpet for another round of implementation in the nearest future.

They should follow the roles played by House of Reps, which gave birth to the National Alcohol Policy.”

According to the duo, government should come out with developed comprehensive alcohol policy that will address access, especially, among minors, not ban which could be counterproductive as many direct and indirect jobs will be lost, thereby, exposing the same minors to more vices as Nigerian markets would be flooded with smuggled sachet and pet bottled hot drinks.

Government will lose lots of revenue, investors’ investments will be destroyed and the same under-aged will be exposed to street hooliganism when their breadwinners are thrown out of jobs.

“Our other suggested solutions is that government should invest in prevention than ban as it could trigger societal vices, create room for smuggling to thrive but it will lead to loss of revenues, “ they pointed out.

Moreover, they appealed to government to create comprehensive public enlightenment and while manufacturers should continue to inscribe warnings to all under aged to keep them off such hot drinks.

“There should be nationwide campaign to shift social attitudes and reduce consumption because outright ban will not only lead to job loss for millions but will open doors for smuggling that will rub government of revenues flood the country, “ they noted.

It would be recalled that, in response to growing concerns from industry stakeholders, the federal government ordered an immediate suspension of enforcement actions on the proposed sachet alcohol ban by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), pending consultations and a final policy decision.

The directive was issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) following the receipt of an official correspondence from the House of Representatives Committee on Food and Drugs Administration and Control.