By Ige Adekunle
The National Agency For Food And Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), on Thursday sealed two unregistered packaged water companies for operating without the approval of NAFDAC in Ota area of Ogun State.
Mr Philip Benu, State Coordinator,NAFDAC Ogun 2, Office,Ota, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on This in Ota,after the exercise,the two companies failed to meet NAFDAC requirement for registration.
Benu said that the raid and enforcement exercise was based on routine inspections by regulatory officers in Ogun 2 office.Ota.
He said that the facilities of the two companies were placed on hold with NAFDAC seal and the companies invited to the office for scrutiny when they were found operating without approval early in the year.
Benu added that at the time of the first inspection,there was no body on ground to warrant immediate arrest for questioning at both facilities.
He said that despite the seal placed and letters of invitation dropped for the two companies to visit NAFDAC office in Ota, they remained adamant and went ahead to remove those seals placed at the entrances of both facilities.
“They would remain adamant and went ahead to remove the seals placed at the entrances of their facilities”.
The NAFDAC State Coordinator further said the two companies resumed production of unregistered water products with fake NAFDAC registration numbers operating in a dirty and unhygienic environment.
Benu listed the two companies to include Joekom Ventures,located at Alapoti, along Atan road, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government. The product name is A One Water.
while the name of the second company is Irorun Ola Unique Co.,situated at Feru road,Iyana-Iyesi,Ota. The product name is Irorun Water (both sachet and bittle).
” For anyone to produce any registered packaged product, you must have a building or adapted one which must meet the minimum requirements of NAFDAC.
“In addition, for you to get the NAFDAC number, we need to visit your site and ensure that the facilities are okay.
“It is after your product had passed through our laboratory test that NAFDAC would approve a number for you
“We also need to monitor such pruducers on routine basis to ensure that they are doing the right thing.”he said.
Benu noted that what some of the people do is to get any place and buy machines without NAFDAC approval and start producing under one room apartment.
He, however ,said that the two companies had been stopped from producing any of the fake products and machines for production evacuated to NAFDAC office in Ota.
Benu said that this enforcement will be an continous exercise,adding that illegal producers should desist from such act and come to register at NAFDAC office in Ota.
He said that NAFDAC was on surveillance and once you are caught,you will face the full wrath of the law,saying that there was no hiding place for those producers who produced without the approval of NAFDAC. (NAN)