A team from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control in Niger State on Thursday shut down 54 table water factories in the state.
It was alleged that they flaunted the rules and regulations of the agency guiding the production of table water in Minna, the state capital, and Suleja.
The agency however debunked claims that the recent out break of cholera witnessed in the nation was caused by the manufacturers of the table water.
The Niger State Coordinator of NAFDAC, Dadi Mantum, who stated this during an interview shortly after a sensitization workshop organised for the producers of table water in Chanchaga and Bosso Local Government Areas in the state, noted that the agency would not hesitate to discipline anyone that fails to abide by the stipulated rules.
Mantum stated that the step became necessary to ensure that manufacturers not only buy good equipment for their business, but ensure strict hygiene where they operate to guarantee safe water for the people.
According to him: “It is the simple laws that we are going to enforce such as the law of hygiene, cleanliness, proper storage of water, proper mode of transportation and employment of correct personnel.
“We have decided that these simple laws will be enforced.”
The state coordinator lamented that lack of enough personnel is the major challenge of the agency to visit the local government areas to carry out its task in enhancing health standards.
He said that is why there is disparity between monitoring in the urban and rural areas in the state.
Earlier, during the workshop, some of the table water producers accused the Agency of not being proactive but that it sets up regulations just to siphon money from them.
They added that they will continue to fight any move by the agency to impose unnecessary dues on them.
But in a swift response, Mantum noted most of the regulations were put in place to safeguard the production of the table water, which the manufacturers often kicked against.
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