Following the Federal Government ban of imported fruit juice into the country, the National Agencyfor Food and Drug Administration, NAFDAC, has begun mop-up of all imported fruit juices nationwide.

Addressing journalists shortly after the raid which took place in various markets in Lagos by the enforcement team of NAFDAC, Deputy Director, Investigation & Enforcement Directorate, Mr. Francis Ononiwu decried the influx of imported fruit juices in the country, blaming it on the absence of the Agency’s staff at the ports.

According to him, the Federal Government as a matter of urgency should reconsider bringing NAFDAC back to the ports in order to drastically reduce fake, counterfeit and imported banned products into the country.

“We are all aware that most of these products come through the sea ports and NAFDAC is not on ground there, definitely, we cannot effectively stop the products from entering. That is a major challenge. If we are there the quantity will be much more reduced or eliminated. Federal government should reconsider taking NAFDAC back to the ports”

Ononiwu explained that the mop –up exercise is ongoing nationwide, not only to meet the deadline for the exercise but also to create an enabling environment for local manufacturers of fruit juices in the country.

“These imported products are not registered by NAFDAC; they are unwholesome and fake and have been banned by the Federal Government. We don’t expect to see imported fruit juices in our markets today because we have enough fruit juice manufactured and produced here.


RAID: NAFDAC officials mopping up imported fruit juice from De Prince Supermarket, Agbada area of Lagos last week.
We are also trying to protect our local industry as well as encouraged them to utilise our farm produces thereby boosting our economy.”

Warning consumers against such products, he said since they were not produced under supervised Good Manufacturing Practice, they are harmful to the health of consumers.

Ononiwu hinted that those arrested would be punished in line with the appropriate sanctions stipulated in the Agency’s regulations.

Speaking during the exercise at Gbagada area of Lagos, Team Leader also from the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, Mr. Carolly Ngobiri, said the exercise was in line with a circular of Dec. 19 from the Directorate, directing that an urgent visit to all markets and supermarkets in all states, be embarked upon, to mop-up these items.

“We are here to carry out one of NAFDAC’s mandate; to make sure that that all foreign juices are removed from the market. We have given them a deadline from now to Dec. 31 to stop their sales and remove them from the shelves.

“But in order to ensure that these are totally removed, we have started mopping up all the juices all over the country. “By Dec. 31, we do not want to see any imported juice in Nigeria.

“At these places that we have gone to carry out our assignment, we have taken the items, documented them and invited the owners to come to our office for further interrogation.

The NAFDAC official advised all consumers to check all the date markings of which include the production and expiry dates, as well as NAFDAC registration number of each of the products, before purchase.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/12/nafdac-begins-mop-imported-fruit-juices-nationwide/

I dey come

NAFDAC will be moving from one shop to another.


NAFDAC: Who is the owner of this shop?
PEOPLE: Iya Bashira
NAFDAC: Why did she run away and closed her shop when she was aware that we will be coming to inspect her shop so see if it contains imported juice? She is perverting the course of justice. She will be prosecuted for closing her shop today.
PEOPLE: It is not so sirs. Her son fell sick and she had to take him to UCH for treatment.
NAFDAC: Sergeant Pafu, are you with your sledge hammers? If you are not, quickly radio the DSS/SSS to come with their own but they should come with the hammers that bigger than those they used to break into supreme judges.
SERGEANT PAFU: All the sledge-hammers, chisel, hack-saw among others dey here sir.
NAFDAC: Then you and others officers should begin the work. Break down this shop, we must see what the owner has inside. It is because we cannot proceed to the next shop until we have examine this shop.
"Tell the so called "Iya Bashira" that she will pay #200,000 to Internal Generated Revenue for wasting the time of FG officials"



On a more serious note, Nigeria content must be protected at all cost. This will lead to more employment. But I think in this case, more discouragement should be done at the country's entry point

Glad NAFDAC is back, it looked as if there were sleeping since.

yeye agency, when are they going to clamp down on ab0kis hawking fake Indian drugs ehn. btw wat happened to chocolate royale self, they are now cafe royal. no one got charged to court. chai

gud one

ajbf:
NAFDAC will be moving from one shop to another.

Lol

Lol, make dem dey collect am from all the shop, go office share am to their selves, since governments no give em bag of rice and oil

Dirty can full inside some juice pack ...Nice move

hmm, kudos Nafdac

nice to see them back at work

hmmm

Please Nafdac should report down here, its a mess here. Lot of fake and expired products, I think they use Bromate to bake their bread sef... Lord save us.

o wa OK

Waiting for wailing zombies to complain again

Nice one

Abeg make dem cum mop mama Nkechi own here because d kain Jews wey dey her shop na with Chinese dem take Wright d name

This will improve fruit juice production in Nigeria and also help local fruit farmers . Very good move

NAFDAC moving to the ports is an indication of failure on the part of the Nigerian Customs.

Mop wetin? abi to sweep bribe pack enter una pocket.
smh, the way these criminals package their news like they are doing us any good.
God go punish all of una; EFCC, FG, NEPA, NAFDAC, Buha, etc

Most of those imported juice are a serious risk to health though l personally do not buy juice off the shelf as l prefer juicing mine.

Very lawless, importation was banned recently, as at the time the ppl bot it then it was legal and legitimate, why raiding them, curroption

Nafdac had died since akuyili of blessed memories died. I don't even know the new DG. No be them dey give ogbono, stew and porrage imported from India number ?

I CAN'T REMEMBER D LAST TIME I WENT 2 ANY STORE N BOUGHT FRUIT DRINK. SINCE I STARTED BLENDING MY FRESH FRUITS, I DON'T REMEMBER THESE FRUIT DRINKS ANYMORE.

Hmmmm! health is wealth

and prevention is better than cure...nicely done to avoid story that touch.

..

Don't know if dis is good news or bad, cos everything that comes out from nigeria is never good

Some dumb individuals would start saying nonsense nw, Nigeria wants to start becoming an exporter a dependent nation, this is what a developed country does and it gives infant industries which are domestic successful.