Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

News

NAFDAC Denies Registering ‘Indian Garri’

PIC.3. FROM LEFT: HEAD REFORMS UNIT, NATIONAL AGENCY FOR FOOD, DRUGS ADMINISTRATION AND CONTROL (NAFDAC), MR IKENNA OZO-ONYALI; REPRESENTATIVE OF NAFDAC DIRECTOR GENERAL, DR ABUBAKAR JIMOH AND HEAD OF CORRUPTION MONITORING UNIT, ICPC, MR AKEEM LAWAL, DURING THE COMMUNIQUE READING SECTION OF NAFDAC/ICPC SENSITIZATION WORKSHOP ON ANTI-CORRUPTION, GENDER AND SERVICOM FOR NAFDAC STAFF IN ENUGU ON SUNDAY (11/10/15). 7094/11/10/2015/MAG/JAU/NAN

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Tuesday, said contrary to reports, it did not register the ‘Indian garri’ that was reportedly being sold in the Nigerian market, Premium Times reports.

The agency’s Director, Special Duties and Media, Abubakar Jimoh, said that there had been false reports that the agency registered the brand.

Nigerians had expressed concerns over the weekend when it was reported that ‘Indian’-packaged garri was being sold in the country. The garri was packed in a 500g bag, which had the picture of a lady and an inscription, ‘TRS’, on it. It also had a price tag of N450, according to reports.

NAFDAC said it immediately commenced investigations into‎ the alleged importation of the “Indian garri”. The agency also cautioned Nigerians against consumption of the product.

Similarly, the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, spoke on the development in a statement on his verified twitter handle, noting that 26 packets of the product were seized for analysis by NAFDAC after regulatory officials visited the supermarket in Ikoyi on Monday.

According to Mr. Jimoh, preliminary investigations revealed that the product was produced in UK, shipped to Ghana and now being sold in Nigeria.

He, however, said that the agency did not register the product as being insinuated.

“Let me make it clear again that NAFDAC did not register any garri,” he said.

 

“We have collected samples of the product and sent them for screening,” he added.

Explaining further, Mr. Jimoh said NAFDAC couldn’t have registered the imported ‘Indian-garri’ because the agency understood the implication of such a decision on the local production market and the general Nigerian economy.

“We are not just safeguarding public health, we also ensure the growth of the Nigerian production industry and facilitate the federal government’s efforts at fixing the economy,” he noted.

The NAFDAC spokesperson said investigation is ongoing on the product and the agency would reveal the outcome of its findings once the investigations are concluded.

“The (Acting) Director-General of NAFDAC, Mrs. Yetunde Oni, would address the press once the result is out,” he said.

__________

Follow us on Twitter at @thesignalng

Copyright 2017 SIGNAL. Permission to use portions of this article is granted provided appropriate credits are given to www.signalng.com and other relevant sources.

1 Comment

1 Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Related

News

Bread producers under the auspices of the Premium Breadmakers Association of Nigeria (PBAN) have said they will be withdrawing their services in protest of...

News

Unknown Gunmen  on Tuesday killed Chike Akunyili, a prominent medical doctor and husband of late public health expert and NAFDAC chief Dora. Mr Akunyili...

News

The Indian government rejected on Thursday recent studies suggesting that millions of people have died in the country from Covid-19, several times the official...

News

The police in India have arrested a Nigerian in possession of illicit drugs and a huge sum of money. The officers from Arnala, Maharashtra...

Copyright ©