Customs Reiterate NAFDAC Certification Of Food Items Released as COVID-19 Palliative

By Our Corredpondent

Nigeria Customs Service has reiterated that all food items being released from it’s warehouses as Covid19 Lockdown Palliative are certified fit for consumption by National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)

Spokesman for the service, Joseph Attah said recently in an interview that the items are being released in batches from 15 locations across the country.

Attah, said the service is working in close collaboration with Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management in ensuring the hitch free evacuation of the items from customs warehouses.

He added that a total of 45 trucks have been released in Lagos and Rivers states under the scheme which commenced last week.

As at today, he said a total of 40 trucks of rice have been released from the service Federal Operations Unit in Lagos and another 5 trucks from Onne in Rivers State

“We are giving the 158 trucks of rice and other items as earlier stated to the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and we have understanding that the quantity which are located in 15 different places will be released in batches after due Certification by NAFDAC, that they are fit for human consumption.

“They have already collected 40 trucks from Federal Operations Unit in lagos and 5 from Onne. While that are taken and distributed, rice at other locations are being subjected to test and getting ready for continuous evacuation” he said

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the resultant lockdown directive by the Federal Government in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja, President Muhammadu Buhari approved that some food items in Customs custody be released to Humanitarian Affairs ministry for distribution to vulnerable people