BAN OF OGOGORO:
THE BAN OF NIGER-DELTA GIN, ECONOMIC EARNER AND EMPLOYER OF LABOUR IS AN INVITATION TO CHAOS AND ANARCHY BY NIGER DELTA PUBLIC COMMENTATOR AND POLITICAL ANALYST
Like most Niger-Deltans, i was shocked, disappointed and pained when i red the June 9th edition of Punch Newspapers news about the ban of Ogogoro, the best locally distilled Gin in Nigeria (from the Niger-Delta Region) without any European or Western input, an economic earner and employer of labour in Nigeria.
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| HON. EDUMOGIREN AUSTIN PUBLIC COMMENTATOR AND POLITICAL ANALYST |
REASON: CONSUMPTION OF OGOGORO (MADE IN NIGERIA GIN) KILLED 38 AND 18 PERSONS IN RIVERS AND ONDO STATES RESPECTIVELY.
Before the coming of European and American Gin, Brandy and other alcoholic drinks to Africa, Ogogoro has been perfectly distilled in the finest way by Niger-Deltans from fresh Palm Wine tapped from Raffia Palm Tree. This alcoholic drink has been consumed by hundreds of millions of people the world over for thousands of years without any death or side effects. Therefore, it beats my imagination to hear that the General Muhammadu Buhari led federal government has banned Ogogoro because it was said to have killed some persons who drank it in Rivers and Ondo States.
May the deceased rest peacefully in the bosom of GOD. To the bereaved, i pray GOD gives you the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
Be that as it is, i make bold to say that those who died did not die for consuming Ogogoro but poison. Without which, over 50% of Nigerians would have died, Ogogoro being the major alcoholic drink of most homes. Apart from Nigeria, food and drink poisoning has been happening in other countries, including America, Britain, France, Germany Russia, Japan, China, to mention but a few. In these countries, affected foods and drinks are not band but solutions sort and put in place to avoid future occurrence.
Therefore, it is lack of vision for the Federal Government to ban Ogogoro, an economic earner and employer of labour that is as old as the Niger-Delta people, without killing them. Did the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria ban consumption of Beans, Chicken and other edibles, when they were said to have killed hundreds of people after consuming them sometime ago in Northern and Western Nigeria?
Burukutu, Pitto and other alcoholic beverages that are produced in Northern Nigeria and in the most unhygienic conditions, that have killed millions of Northern Nigerians are not banned, so why the great and most respected Niger-Delta Gin of the Elders, Gin-head of all ceremonies and one of the economic earners of the region? This is the height of hypocrisy of the Dr. Paul Orhi led National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
It is unimaginable for Nigeria, a developing country to ban distillation of Palm Wine to Gin. A unique scientific breakthrough of the Niger-Delta forefathers, a feat more than some Nobel Price discovery in Chemistry, that was discovered even before Europeans came to teach us elementary distillation in Primary and Secondary School. Since the coming of this administration, i have been suspicious that, it's plans for the Niger-Delta Region and her people are evil. My suspicion is systematically being played out with the banning of the age long Gin, economic earner, employer of labour and promoter of sociocultural ties of the Niger-Delta people. Earlier, during the Nigerian Civil War, the Niger-Delta precious drink of the Elders, Ogogoro, was banned by these same Northern led Federal Military Government of General Yakubu Gowon. It took the divin intervention of GOD for Major Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro of blessed memory to fight with his blood before the obnoxious and suppressive ban was lifted.
The Niger-Deltans have suffered too many injustices in this fraudulent polity, called Nigeria. The Niger-Deltans have over the decades exercised restraint and tolerance in the face of resistable provocations. The Petrodollars from the Crude Oil extracted from the Bowels of the Niger-Delta, is mostly used to develop Northern and Western Nigeria, while the Niger-Delta is described as "Difficult Terrain", and denied development, leaving the people in abject poverty in a degraded environment due to Oil exploration and exploitation activities.
Banning Ogogoro, the Niger-Delta Gin of international standard and one of the economic mainstay of the region is to say the least, another systematic and very cruel way of crippling the the economy of the people and an INVITATION TO CHAOS AND ANARCHY.
President Muhammadu Buhari, sack Dr. Pius Orhi the Director-general of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and lift the ban on Ogogoro now or be ready to move another Military High Command to the Niger-Delta Region, because the people will resist the ban with all the powers at their disposal.
"A stitch in time saves nine".
HON. EDUMOGIREN AUSTIN
A Public Commentator and Political Analyst
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