BusinessDay 11 Dec 2017

18
Father, son bag 25 years
over killer local gin in Delta
IGNATIUS CHUKWU
BUSINESS DAY
CITYFile
Joy Patrick (2nd l), GMD,
Patjeda Group; Emmanuel
Okobah (l); Ighodalo Aikhenomia
(2nd r), and Hajara
Bakare, all of Patjeda Group,
cutting cake to mark 10th
anniversary of the company in
Lagos, last week.
... these fellows must have ruined many lives, says judge
Few years ago, mass death rose
in parts of the Niger Delta by
those who sipped the local gin,
popularly known as ‘Ogogoro’,
Now, father and son have
been jailed for 25 years for being the
producers of the killer gin. It was gathered
that some producers add ethanol
to the gin.
The National Agency for Food and
Drug Administration and Control (NAF-
DAC) said it has secured the conviction
of father and son who added ethanol in
the production of the local gin in Ogume
community, Delta State.
They were convicted for possession/
production of unwholesome processed
food and storage of same under nonsanitary
condition.
Justice, O. A. Faji, of the Federal High
Court, Asaba, sentenced Isaac Uti, 58,
and his son, Jonathan Uti, 28, to 14 and 11
years imprisonment respectively.
Anambra loses N607m in 76 fire incidents
EMMANUEL NDUKUBA, Awka
They were found guilty of three-count
charge out of five-count charge preferred
against them on possession of unwholesome
processed food which contravenes
section 1 of Counterfeit and Fake Drugs
and Unwholesome processed Food (Miscellaneous
provisions) Act. CAP C34 LFN
2004 and punishable under Section 3(a)
of the same act.
The offence also contravenes 1(3) of
the Food and Drug Act, CAP F32 LFN
and punishable under 17(1) of the same
act. The second defendant, Isaac Uti was
sentenced to seven years imprisonment
each count without any option of fine
while he got 18 months jail term and a
fine of N250,000 on the 5th count charge.
The first defendant, Jonathan Uti, was
sentenced to five years imprisonment
each on counts one and two while he got
18 months sentence on count five without
any option of fine. All the jail terms are to
run concurrently.
Faji in passing the judgment said that
he considered the debilitating effect such
No fewer than 76 fire incidents
were recorded in Anambra
State between January and October,
2017, as against 117 cases
recorded within the same period in 2016.
Innocent Mbonu, deputy director,
Aministration and Strategy, Anambra
State Fire Service, disclosed this to
newsmen in Awka, saying that properties
worth N607 million were lost to
fire during the period under review as
against N966 million in the previous
year.
“What normally causes fire is peoples’
insistence on clearing bushes
around them with fire as well as hunting
expedition,’’ Mbonu said.
He warned residents against indiscriminate
bush fire, especially during
the harmattan season.
``We are almost at the peak of harmattan,
where cases of fire incidents are
on the increase; we urge residents to be
mindful of bush fire.
``The moment you set fire to bush,
you should be mindful that it does not
spread to nearby buildings or other
property around,” Mbonu said.
While commending Govenor Willie
Obiano for the provision of three fire
unwholesome practice might have had
on those consuming the product. “This
act must have impaired people’s health
and put their lives at great risk,” he stated.
The NAFDAC counsel, Adumen Jumbo
Washington, hailed the judgment attributing
it to diligent prosecution. He said
the judgment will serve as a deterrent to
unscrupulous producers who were out
to undermine the health of unsuspecting
Nigerians.
The long walk to jail for the father and
son started sometime in September 2015
when NAFDAC enforcement operatives
led by the Director Enforcement Directorate,
Kingsley Ejiofor, with detachment
of policemen swooped on them while
preparing and selling the illicit product
in Ogume community in Ndokwa local
government area of Delta State.
About 72 drums of ethanol were discovered
in their premises including cans
of formalin and acetic acid suspected to
be part of the illicit production which
were eventually destroyed.
trucks to the state fire service earlier in
the year, Mbonu appealed to the governor
to hasten his promise of employing
100 fire fighters in the state.
``We are still requesting the governor
to approve the refurbishing of eight other
dilapidated trucks for re-distribution
to the new fire stations under construction
at Umunze, Otuocha, Nnewi, Onitsha
and Agulu.
``We also appeal to the public to
report fire incidents early and show
friendliness to fire fighters rather than
harass or mob officers on duty for arriving
late at the scenes of fire,’’ Mbonu
said.
Monday 11 December 2017
Patjeda marks 10th
anniversary
It was a celebration of excellent services
to clients and society by Patjeda Group,
as the company, last week, rolled out
the drums to mark its tenth anniversary,
in Lagos.
Incorporated in 2007, company which
started off with car hire/leasing services,
like the proverbial mustard seed, has
grown and expanded its business interest
into other sectors of the economy, a feat
that Joy Patrick, Group Managing Director
(GMD), Patjeda, says is worth celebrating.
“Within ten years of our existence, we
have diversified into other areas. These
include hotel and hospitality, guard/civil
security, courier service, event management,
schools, property development,
cinema, shopping malls and agriculture.
We are also into youth empowerment as
part of our corporate social responsibility.
Patrick said the diversification into
agriculture, focusing on poultry farming
and crops is in the belief that Nigeria as a
country should be able to feed her citizens,
and in line with the Federal Government’s
policy to further use agriculture to grow
the economy, create wealth, and generate
employments for the teeming population.
She explained at the ceremony, which
held in Ikeja, that the goal of the group is
to produce agro products that will become
household names within the next ten years
when the group should be marking its
twentieth anniversary.
The GMD, who, however, acknowledged
the challenging business environment
in Nigeria, said the group has been
able to leverage on its diversified business
interests to stay above the waves.
“It’s been quite challenging the last ten
years, but we have managed to stay above
the waters using our diversified business
platforms. Sometimes one of businesses
may be down but we use the other to support
ourselves and carry out,” she said.
Carnival Calabar to attract
670,000 spectators
MIKE ABANG, Calabar
Over six hundred and seventy
thousand people are expected to
participate in this year’s Calabar
Carnival.
Officials of Cross River State government
and organisers of the event also disclosed
that 22 countries have indicated interest to
be in Calabar, for the annual fiesta.
Kenneth Aklah, special adviser to Governor
Ben Ayade, on Event Management,
named Davido and Flavor among the
popular Nigerian musicians expected to
perform during the carnival. Others to play
during a special music event tagged Black
Music Festival, in Calabar, from December
26; include Makafizolo, Timaya, Star plus,
2Face Baba.
Aklah said that artists in the state would
also be given an opportunity to showcase
their talent during the fiesta which will be
broadcast live for about three days.
According to him, the Carnival Commission
is targeting about 22 to 25 countries
to participate in the event, making it
the largest street party in the world.
“We have gone ahead to sink a borehole
to take care of the sanitation problem,”
he said.
Also speaking, Eric Anderson, the
commissioner for Tourism said that the
Carnival Commission had concluded arrangement
to add some theatrical shows
to showcase the cultural heritage of the
people to spice up the festival.