By Ngozi Onyeakusi — The Association of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), an umbrella body for manufacturers in the Food, Beverage and Tobacco industry in Nigeria is saddened by the recent actions of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) in embarking on the closure of Companies in our industrial sector in an attempt to force them to make payments that have over time been contested and are currently subject of litigation in the Court.
We consider this brazen step unacceptable especially in a democratic setting where the actions of all and sundry and especially those of Government and its Agencies should be guided by the rule of law and respect for the country’s judicial institutions and process.
We are more worried that this is happening at a time when all hands should be on deck to increase the productive base of the Nigerian economy, promote commerce and step up development efforts.
We ask the Federal Government, through the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who supervises the Commission, as well as the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment to help us in reminding the Management of the NLRC that the law setting it up i.e. the National Lottery Act, 2005 does not empower it to act in the manner it has resorted to of late. Secondly, the Commission also needs to be reminded that the matter is before the Court and as such none of the parties should take any precipitate action that will present the court with a fait accompli.
Finally, we appeal to the Commission to follow the law in all its actions and in this particular matter, allow the Court to rule on it.
ISSUED THIS DAY 15TH NOVEMBER, 2018 BY THE MANAGEMENT OF THE ASSOCIATION OF FOOD BEVERAGE AND TOBACCO EMPLOYERS, SUITE 107,AHCN TOWERS, 1ST FLOOR, WING C, CIPM ROAD, CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, ALAUSA, IKEJA