Groups hold ‘Let The Poor Live’ protest in Abuja

No fewer than 100 civil society groups, on Wednesday, held what it described as a “Let The Poor Live” protest in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The protest was held to challenge the ban on sachet and PET bottles of alcoholic drinks by the National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC). Led […]

No fewer than 100 civil society groups, on Wednesday, held what it described as a “Let The Poor Live” protest in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The protest was held to challenge the ban on sachet and PET bottles of alcoholic drinks by the National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Led by the Coalition Against Economic Saboteurs, the groups lamented that the new policy would further pile more problems on the Nigerian economy as it may lead to the eventual shutdown of the industries producing these products.

Comrade Kabir Matazu spoke on behalf of the groups.

He said: “Today, we address a matter of grave concern, the recent decision by the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojo Adeyeye, to ban the sale of beverages in small sachets.

“We view this policy as a direct assault on the livelihoods of millions of Nigerians, a move that will not only put countless citizens out of work but also exacerbate the existing problems of insecurity and unemployment in our nation.

“We strongly condemn this ill-thought-out policy, which seems disconnected from the realities faced by the ordinary Nigerian citizens.”