National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has ordered petroleum tankers to stop transport ing edible oil.
At a meeting with the leadership of the National Union of Edible Oil Tanker Drivers of Nigeria (NUEOTDN) and edible oil manufacturers, the agency’s director of Investigations and Enforcement, Dr Martins Iluyomade, expressed worry over the use of the same tankers meant for petroleum products to transport edible Oil.
Iluyomade, also a member of the Federal Task Force on Fake Drugs, issued a seven-day ultimatum to tanker owners to have dedicated trucks for the sole transportation of edible oil.
According to the NAFDAC director, the directive was to protect public health and prevent Nigerians from taking adulterated cooking oil protected public health and prevented
He said over 200 million Nigerians are directly or indirectly using cooking oil, so the agency must take steps before they fall prey to cooking oil mixed with petroleum products.
“Calling for this meeting with members and the executive of the National Union of Edible Oil Tanker Drivers of Nigeria (NUEOTDN) and the manufacturers is based on the plan to halt petroleum product drivers from switching tankers meant for petroleum products for edible oil.
“We are making it mandatory for all manufacturers of Edible oil and the tanker drivers to have dedicated tankers meant purely for conveying cooking oil, as the lives of over 200 million Nigerians could be at risk by using such tankers.
“We are giving them up to the first week in October to have their tankers painted to green tankers, while the body head will carry the stickers of the National Union of Edible Oil Tanker Drivers of Nigeria (NUEOTDN) for early identification.”
Earlier, Comrade Funmi Sessi of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Lagos State Council, commended NAFDAC for developing such instructions as a preventive measure.
Sessi, represented by the Vice Chairman, Comrade Olabisi Adebayo, said the union would comply with the NAFDAC directive.
“On behalf of the Chairman, NLC Council, Comrade Funmi Sessi, I want to commend this latest move by NAFDAC. We are happy about such a move, which our union members must comply with.”
