By PAMELA Eboh, Awka

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has kicked against the recent invasion of AliBan De Great Industries Nkpor, in Anambra State, a beverage production company, and the arrest of its workers by Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra (OCHA Brigade).

The company was alleged to be producing fake and supplying same to traders for sale in Ointsha.

Recall that OCHA Brigade invaded AliBan De Great production factory on October 10, forced themselves into the facility, destroyed their CCTV cameras before carting away document, products and property of the company without prior notice.

Seven workers of the company were also taken away and locked up in OCHA Brigade detention facility for three days before moving them to State Criminal Investigation Department in Awka.

According to the NAFDAC Coordinator in Enugu Zonal office, Dr Martins Iluyomade, who spoke to the media in Enugu on Wednesday, he stressed that it was not the duty of the quasi security agency to declare a production activity illegal.

He stated: ?Only NAFDAC reserved the legal mandate to approve and regulate importation, exportation, manufacture, sales and distribution of drug, cosmetics, packaged water and chemicals.?

Iluyomade noted that OCHA Brigade, a state owned enforcement agency had no right under the law to take over NAFDAC job to condemn food, chemical products or arrest workers of regulated products but could draw their attention to such development.

He however expressed worry that when the company presented NAFDAC certificate as evidence of compliance and approval, OCHA Brigade staff took the document and tore it

He added: ?Before the agency make pronouncements on any product, they are subjected to a process where trained professionals test them in standard laboratories contrary to what OCHA Brigade did.

?We saw a recent report that said the Anambra Taskforce, OCHA Brigade bust an illegal production factory in Onitsha.

?NAFDAC is created by law to regulate importation, exportation, manufacture, sales and distribution of drug, cosmetics, packaged water and chemical products.

?Government has invested so much resources in this area that we have nine functional labs that are accredited internationally for testing of samples and issuing approvals.

?NAFDAC is the lead agent in the field or regulated product where inter agency collaboration existed. Regulation of food and drugs is in the exclusive list and that agency or organisation should know their limits. Nigeria is a country governed by laws.

?NAFDAC does operate like that, we have processes, NAFDAC is the one which gives license, we are the only agency that can confirm whether a certificate is genuine or not.?

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