A suit instituted by Guinness Nigeria against the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation has been withdrawn.
This is because Guinness has paid the N11.4 million fine imposed on them by NAFDAC.
In addition, the beverage industry agreed to pay administrative and service charges to the regulatory agency.
The purpose of this is to cover the cost of the investigative inspection of raw materials carried out by the Agency as well as the supervision by NAFDAC of the destruction of the raw materials.
This is to be carried out by Guinness Nigeria.
In November 2015, NAFDAC ordered Guinness Nigeria Plc to pay N1bn “as administrative charges for various clandestine violations of NAFDAC rules” including “infractions such as the destruction activities carried out by the company without the authorisation and supervision of the agency”.
Guinness was also accused of revalidating expired products without authorisation and supervision by NAFDAC, as well as failing to secure the gate of its warehouse as the raw materials used in the production of beer and non-alcoholic beverages by the firm were permanently opened to intrusion and exposure to the elements and rodents, which “invariably affect the integrity of the raw materials.”
Last December, Guinness Nigeria Plc filed a suit against the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) at the Igbosere High Court in Lagos, over the N1bn fine imposed on it by the agency.
