.As Senate orders NAFDAC to enforce ban on alcohol in sachets effective Dec 31
IGNATIUS OKOROCHA, Abuja and JONAS EZIEKE, Abuja
The House of Representatives has begun a comprehensive investigation into all security intervention funds released by the Federal Government from its coffers from 2020 to date vowing to ensure transparency, accountability, and fiscal discipline in the disbursement and utilization of resources meant to protect Nigerians and nationals of other nations
Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee on the Expenditure of All Intervention Funds on Security, Hon.Zakaria Nyampa made this known on Thursday at the inauguration of the committee at the National Assembly.
Nyampa said the House investigation is imperative by the widening gap between huge budgetary allocations to the security sector and the continuing wave of insecurity across the country.
“This is not a witch-hunt,” he stressed. “Our duty is to ensure that every naira released for security serves its purpose to safeguard lives and property.”
The investigation he explained, will cover all intervention heads, special allocations, and procurement processes undertaken by beneficiary agencies.
The Committee will also assess the impact of the spending on security outcomes across Nigeria.
“We are determined to follow the money with diligence, objectivity, and patriotism,” he added.
To ensure that there is credibility and openness, the Committee agreed to collaborate with the Ministry of Finance, the Budget Office, Office of the National Security Adviser, defence and police and related agencies, including the EFCC, ICPC, and civil society organizations such as BudgIT, CISLAC, and SERAP.
“Transparency is the backbone of good governance,” the Chairman added.
He further noted that mismanaging funds meant for security has grave consequences for national stability.
“When money meant to secure our nation is diverted, the cost is not just in naira and kobo it’s in human lives. We owe it to Nigerians to get this right,” he said, assuring that the Committee’s report will help strengthen security governance and restore public trust.
Earlier, the Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt Hon Tajudeen Abbas, reaffirmed the commitment of the House to accountability, probity and utilization of all security interventions funds in Nigeria.
Abbas, represented by the Deputy Chief Whip, Hon.Dr Ibrahim Isiaka said the creation of the Ad-hoc committee is a demonstration of the 10th House’s unwavering commitment to accountability in matters of national security.
He urged the committee members to uphold accountability, effectiveness, and fairness which are the core values of the House of Representatives.
The Speaker who extolled the Chairman of the probe panel for stepping out to lead with integrity, urged the committe members to carry out the assignment effectively.
.As Senate orders NAFDAC to enforce ban on alcohol in sachets, effective Dec 31
Meanwhile, The Senate has ordered the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) not to extend the December 31, 2025 deadline for the probihition of alcohol in sachets.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South) during Tuesday’s plenary session.
Presenting the motion, Ekpenyong said the directive was in line with global regulatory standards and international best practices aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm among Nigerians.
He recalled that in 2018, the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), NAFDAC, and industry bodies including the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) voluntarily signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to gradually phase out sachet and small-bottle alcoholic drinks.
Ekpenyong explained that the Federal Government, upon appeals from manufacturers, had already granted a one-year moratorium in 2024 to enable producers to exhaust existing stock and transition to compliant packaging alternatives.
However, the lawmaker expressed concern that some manufacturers were lobbying for another extension, which he said would undermine regulatory authority, endanger public health, and perpetuate the circulation of harmful alcoholic products in the market.
“As the December 2025 deadline approaches, certain manufacturers are lobbying for another extension, thereby undermining the regulatory process and jeopardizing public health,” Ekpenyong said.
“We cannot continue to expose our youths to cheap, easily accessible alcohol that destroys lives and endangers public safety.”
He warned that the continued availability of high-strength alcoholic beverages in sachet form has contributed to addiction, impaired cognitive development, school dropouts, domestic violence, and increased road accidents, particularly among commercial drivers and young people.
Ekpenyong further noted that manufacturers who had complied in good faith were now at a disadvantage against those who continued to produce non-compliant products, creating an uneven market.
Following extensive deliberation, lawmakers who contributed to the motion commended Ekpenyong for raising the issue, stressing the need for stricter enforcement and public sensitization.
Senator Anthony Ani (Ebonyi South) backed the call, describing the easy availability of cheap alcohol as a growing social menace.
“The easy availability of cheap alcohol is fueling social vices. We must act now to save our young generation from self-destruction,” he said.
In his ruling, Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the resolution as a timely step toward safeguarding public health and youth welfare.
He urged NAFDAC to ensure full enforcement of the ban by December 2025, warning that any further extension would undermine Nigeria’s anti-substance abuse efforts.
“This is a matter of urgency,” Akpabio said. “The agency must act decisively to protect Nigerians, especially our young people, from the dangers of unregulated alcohol consumption.”
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