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NAFDAC seizes N2.5m sweets, candies

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and
Control has impounded confectionery valued at N2.5m at the
Ogbaru Relief Market, Onitsha, Anambra State.
NAFDAC operatives, who visited the market on Tuesday, also
closed down 12 shops filled with confectionery, including milk
candies for children.
The Public Relations Officer for the agency, Mr. Anslem
Okonkwor, said the impounded confectionery was substandard
and not certified by NAFDAC.
He said, “The raid came as a result of complaints made to us
that people were bringing into the market confectionery, which
NAFDAC had not approved for human consumption.”
A Chief Regulatory Officer of NAFDAC, Mr. Joseph Idowu, said
the agency found it difficult to make the traders to cooperate.
He said, “We were unable to arrest even one of the culprits to
serve as a deterrent to others due to the posture of the
market leadership.
“One of them called the four fake product dealers that were
reported to us, and asked them to escape before we got to
them.”
He said the uncooperative attitude of the confectionery market
leaders was unlike the one NAFDAC had been getting from
other market leaders, who sanitised the market by themselves.

Diamond Bank unfolds new business packages

The need for extensive planning before venturing into business
has been stressed at a public forum organized by Diamond
Bank, Plc The forum which was organized by the bank at
Sharon House, GRA, Onitsha was to educate business
entrepreneurs and ......

New currency , vehicle number plates , drivers licence from MASSO

The Movement for the Actualisation of the
Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, does not
seem tired of its struggle to “liberate” the people
of the South-eastern part of Nigeria with its
passionate bid, though declared illegal, to
establish the republic of Biafra. Despite arrests
and detention of its members, the group has
remained resolute in spite of the challenges the
Igbos still face as consequences of the Civil War
years back.
This time, the group says it has launched new
Biafran currency, number plates for vehicles
and drivers’ licence for the people of everyone
in the South-east. It has also enacted an Income
Tax regime for people of the zone, especially
those it says are under its control.
Mr. Charles Igbokwe, the MASSOB’s Information
Coordinator for Onitsha, who spoke for the
organisation’s leader, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike,
disclosed that the new Biafran vehicles, drivers’
licence and new currency were launched on
Thursday in Owerri, the Imo State capital in the
eastern part of Nigeria.
According to the organisation, the idea behind
these developments was to further unify the
people of the zone, work for peace and progress
for the development of the zone. Moreover,
Igbokwe said it was the right of every motorist,
tricycle and motorcycle riders from the zone to
get the vehicle licences and update them where
the need arises.
“We also use the period of the registration
exercise to call on all the traditional rulers and
president generals of town unions to help
educate their people on the need to get abreast
with the new Biafran currency and other
programmes,” he said adding that the Biafran
currency is already in circulation in the zone
and that it would soon be available to banks in
the area.

SABMiller : expands its operations in Ghana

SABMiller's Ghanaian subsidiary, Accra Brewery Limited (ABL),
will today officially open its new facilities which have been
upgraded as part of a $100m brewery expansion project at its
existing site in the centre of Accra.
The opening marks completion of the first phase of the
expansion project, which will see ABL double its brewing
capacity and allow it to continue to grow production and sales
of its flagship local brand, Club Premium Lager, and the other
brands in its portfolio.
Mark Bowman, Managing Director of SABMiller Africa, said:
"We have made significant investments in our West African
operations over the last three years, including our new and
expanded brewery in Onitsha, Nigeria, and the expansion of
our site in Accra. The long-term growth potential for the
African beer market is enormous and the investments we are
making today will ensure that we are prepared to capture the
growth tomorrow."
Work undertaken during the first phase of the project in Accra
includes installation of new packaging-lines, ten beer storage
vessels, warehouse and storage facilities and two new
autonomous power generators. The second phase of the
project will include installation of a new effluent treatment
plant, new brewing equipment and upgrading the municipal
water supply, as well as other upgrades on the site to be
completed before the end of 2015.
The first phase of expansion has created an additional 100
permanent new jobs at the brewery, adding to the existing
local workforce of just over 500. The expanded production
capacity of the new site will also generate growth and job
creation opportunities for the local suppliers and other small
retail and distribution businesses in ABL's value chain. ABL
currently sources locally grown brewing materials such as
maize, cassava, sorghum and rice from approximately 3,500
local farmers.
The Vice President of The Republic of Ghana, Kwesi Amissah-
Arthur, and the Minister of Trade & Industry will attend the
inauguration event held in Accra later today.
Ends
Notes to editors
SABMiller plc
SABMiller plc is in the beer and soft drinks business. We are
the world's second largest brewing company and are one of
the world's largest bottlers of Coca-Cola drinks. We also
produce a portfolio of wholly-owned soft drinks brands.
We are a FTSE-20 company, with shares trading on the
London Stock Exchange, and we have a secondary listing on
the Johannesburg stock exchange. We operate in more than
80 countries with around 70,000 employees.
Our brand portfolio includes leading local brands such as
Aguila (Colombia), Castle (South Africa), Miller Lite (USA),
Snow (China), Victoria Bitter (Australia) and Tyskie (Poland)
as well as global brands such as Pilsner Urquell, Peroni
Nastro Azzurro, Miller Genuine Draft and Grolsch. Every minute
of every day, more than 140,000 bottles of SABMiller beer are
sold.
In the year ended 31 March 2014, the group sold 318 million
hectolitres of lager, soft drinks and other alcoholic beverages,
generating group net producer revenue of US$26,719 million
and EBITA of US$6,460 1million.
Enquiries
SABMiller plc
t: +44 20 7659 0100
Richard Farnsworth
Business Media Relations
Manager
SABMiller plc
t: +44 20 7659 0188

Nigeria: Shippers Want FG to Gazette Onitsha Port

John Iwori Shippers under the aegis of the Anambra State
Shippers Association, have enjoined the federal government to
gazette Onitsha River Port as port of final destination for
goods coming into the country.
The call of the shippers is coming on the heels of the
inactivity at port since it was formally inaugurated four years
ago by President Goodluck Jonathan. Since its unveiling,
which attracted many dignitaries from far and near, the river
port has been bereft of any significant activities as fears
continue to mount in some quarters that the ultra-modern
equipment procured for the port may become rusty and
obsolete.
The port is said to be under lock and key as a result of
inactivity in spite of the assurances of the all key speakers at
the occasion.
The shippers who spoke through the President of the
association, Mr. Emma Akpaka, expressed dismay that over
the present state of things in the river port, even as they
called for its gazette by the federal government.
"Onitsha Port should be gazetted as a port of final destination
for cargos and containers coming from any part of the world.
As a matter of urgent public and economic importance, the
Federal Ministry of Finance should make it a reality," he said.
Akpaka expressed hope that when Onitsha River Port becomes
fully operational, it would aid decongestion of Onne Port in
Rivers State. He said that millions of naira and the jobs
creation capacity that would follow the port were being denied
some local government councils in Delta and Anambra States.
According to him, councils such as Onitsha North, Onitsha
South, Ogbaru, Anambra East, Anambra West (in Anambra) as
well as Asaba and Oshimili North (in Delta) would benefit
tremendously from the operations of the river port.
"An efficient Onitsha port will develop the waterways transport
system along the entire communities close to the River Niger.
Also, there will be less gridlock and excessive load that wear
out tarred roads in the country," he said. ..

Nigeria Boko Haram: Many killed in bus station bombings

Bomb attacks have killed at least 32 people in northern
Nigeria, amid a wave of violence from Boko Haram militants.
A suicide bomber killed at least 17 people at a bus station in
Biu, witnesses say, while a second bomber was caught by a
crowd and reportedly beaten to death.
In Jos, three bombs thrown from a car killed 15 people at a
bus station and the university.
February's presidential election has been postponed because
of the unrest.
The vote is now expected to take place on 28 March.
President Goodluck Jonathan, who was visiting the north-
eastern garrison town of Baga, insisted that the army was
winning the war against Boko Haram.
The army recaptured Baga from Boko Haram last week. The
group still controls much of the north-eastern state of Borno
and more than three million people have fled their homes.
Attacks in Kano and Potiskum on Tuesday claimed more than
50 lives. No group has said it carried them out.