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“Why I Don’t Take Food and Beverages in Aba “

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By Ichaburu Ochefa

Some time ago, a friend of mine living in Lagos State told me that whenever he is on business travels to Aba, Abia State, he doesn’t drink water or tea neither in the hotel he lodges nor buys from the shops outside.

Curiously, I asked him why.? “

They are fake products,” he replied. He added, “From water to tea, wine, spirits, juices, etc.

“I further asked,  “So how do you survive while you are there.?

“I prepared myself from Lagos,”  he said. “But there are fake products in Lagos, too, and all over Nigeria,” I told him as a matter of fact.

They are at Oke-Arin market on Lagos Island, Alaba International; the  Oyingbo market … they are at Ogbete main market, Enugu …”

“I know, he cut me short and said: “Not like  Aba; Aba is worst in counterfeiters…”

What my friend told me months ago matches the NAFDAC’s recent regulatory actions against fake product manufacturers in Aba.

An official statement from the agency on Tuesday,  28 January 2025, signed by Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, the NAFDAC Director-General, described the Cemetery market Aba as ” the most dreaded and hitherto safe haven for the largest cartel ring for the manufacture of fake wines and beverages in Africa.”

NAFDAC further said that its enforcement agents, in collaboration with a large contingency of the military, DSS, and Nigeria Police, in a rare display of inter-agency cooperation, confiscated adulterated wines, fake food, and beverages valued at over N5 billion. ”

The current action of NAFDAC is the most audacious in the history of the market, with specific zones barricaded with iron welding and access gates locked to date.

The operation carried out was a follow-up to a similar raid that was carried out in December 2023.

Some of the nefarious activities of the counterfeiters included the manufacturing of all kinds of adulterated products especially different kinds of wine from a wide variety of brands ranging from the following: ·      Seaman Schnapps, Henessy, Four Cousins ·      Carlo Rossi, Jenney, Chelsea London Dry Gin ·      Schnapp Dry Gin, McDowells, Black Labels ·      Gordons, Martell, Campari, Smirnoff ice ·      Eva Non-Alcoholic Drink, Evra Non-Alcoholic Drink, Cartel and others.

As a consequence of the extensive operation, the agency raided over 240 shops and turned factories where the harmful products were being produced and marketed.

The shops turned factories are very filthy, using water from very unhygienic sources, harmful chemicals, saccharin, coloring, dirty recycled bottles, and cloned packaging materials of other brands.

The adulteration of alcoholic beverages by criminal elements in the country is done by mixing cheaper sources of sugar and starch besides grapes or fruit, among other harmful chemicals unsuitable for human consumption.

Over 1500 cartons of fake and substandard products were destroyed during the operation.

The street value of the confiscated and destroyed fake products in 2023 is estimated at over seven hundred and fifty million naira only. (N750,000,000).

The estimated value of products mopped up during the December 15, 2024, operation is five billion naira.

The products being revalidated and mopped up include: ·      Soft and carbonated drinks such as Fanta, Coca-Cola ·      Schweppes, Lacasera, Sprite, Hollandia Yoghurt ·      Super Commando Energy Drink, Feyrouz and Amstel Malta. Aside from drinks, notable fake home-use beverages such as: ·      Peak Sachet Milk, Cowbell Sachet Milk, Peak Chocolate Drink ·      Miksi Sachet Milk, Cadbury Chocolate Drink, and Ovaltine adulterated versions.

Before the evacuation of the products by NAFDAC, they were being produced in the market and neatly packaged and sold to unsuspecting consumers.

NAFDAC management appreciates the support from the Government of Abia State led by His Excellency Governor Alex Otti for his unwavering support for this project OPERATION CLEAN UP ABA.

The Mayor of Aba South, the interim management committee of the market, and other stakeholders have been working assiduously with NAFDAC on the project,  leading to another discovery of three major warehouses stockpiling expired HOLLANDIA YOGHURT for revalidation on the 22nd of January 2025.

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Business

Nigeria First Policy: Customs Championing Made-in-Nigeria Vehicles Procurements

In terms of aesthetics, I am satisfied with what I see here. In terms of functionality, we have been assured by the manufacturers that the vehicles are quite efficient.”

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The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi has assured members of the Nigeria Automotive Manufacturers Association (NAMA) that the Service would champion the procurements of locally assembled vehicles from the auto manufacturers inline with the government’s Nigeria First Policy Directive.

CGC Adeniyi gave the assurance when he inspected vehicles produced by members of the Nigeria Automotive Manufacturers Association (NAMA) at the Service’s headquarters, Maitama, Abuja.

After the inspection, the CGC commended the association for turning up in full strength and expressed satisfaction with the quality of the vehicles.

He remarked, “In terms of aesthetics, I am satisfied with what I see here. In terms of functionality, we have been assured by the manufacturers that the vehicles are quite efficient.”

“What gives me joy is that in all the vehicles I have seen today, there is an imprint of Nigeria, which shows that they are fully assembled here. It gives me joy that Mr President’s policy is on the right course,” he added.

He further praised President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Nigeria First policy initiative in the automobile industry.

He pledged that the Nigeria Customs Service would continue to patronise and support the sector for the growth and well-being of the nation’s industrial economy.

In response, Ilekuba Anslem Chairman, Chief Executive Officer of Cedric Masters Group, commended the CGC for his unwavering support for the automobile industry.

Also, Oluwatobi Ajayi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nord Automobile Limited, praised the CGC.

“Even before this policy was announced, you had been championing made-in-Nigeria vehicles.

With Mr President’s announcement, we are confident that you will be the first CEO of a government parastatal to fully champion this policy,” he said.

He assured the CGC that the company would not abandon its vehicles after sales.Similarly, Jonas Ojukwu, a Director at Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Limited (IVM), assured the Nigeria Customs Service of the company’s commitment to delivering the best to the Service.

Other stakeholders who spoke at the event included representatives from Mikano Motors Nigeria and Stallion Motors Nigeria.

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Business

Lagos Marks 39 Building in Lekki Axis for Demolition

Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, explained that government swung into action following a series of petitions on encroachment of the Ikota River.

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Lagos State government has marked no fewer than 39 buildings located in two highbrow estates for demolition for building on the Right of Way, RoW, of Ikota River, at Eti-Osa Local Government Area. Ikota is part of the Maroko Okun Alfa Ward in the Lekki axis.

This is coming as the state government issued indefinite quit notices to affected occupants to enable them move their properties and families before the demolition exercise commences.

The affected buildings, located at Oral Extension Estate, Westend and Megamound Estate, Eti-Osa, LGA, include 20 buildings to be totally removed, eight marked for partial removal, while 13 buildings are to go down at Westend Estate.

Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, explained that government swung into action following a series of petitions on encroachment of the Ikota River.

Wahab said: “We had several complaints. We have been on this for a while now, and we found out at the ministry level that while we are engaging to find a win-win solution that will mitigate the negative impact on the environment and they don’t affect the people so much. Some developments were also going on to further push back the RoW, and the alignment of the Ikota River.

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Senate Constitutes Abdullahi Yahaya Tax Harmonisation Committee

Altogether, the four Tax Reform bills were Executive Bills transmitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the two chambers of the National Assembly in November last year.

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The Senate on Thursday constituted a committee saddled with the responsibility of harmonizing its amendments to the tax reform bills with the House of Representatives version for final transmission to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced this during plenary after the passage of the bills.

Akpabio named senator Abdullahi Yahaya (Kebbi North) as chairman of the committee.

The members of the committee as announced by the Senate President are Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South), Chief Whip, Tahir Mongumo (APC, Borno North), Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), and Solomon Adeola (APC, Ogun West).

Earlier, the remaining two Tax Reform Bills — the Nigeria Tax Bill 2025 and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill, 2025.

This was in addition to passage of the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, 2025, and the Nigerian Tax Administration Bill, 2025.

Altogether, the four Tax Reform bills were Executive Bills transmitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the two chambers of the National Assembly in November last year.

The passage of the bills was sequel to the consideration and adoption of a report of the Senate Committee on Finance presented by its Chairman, Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East).

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