Ben Ezechime, Enugu
A Civil Right Lawyer, Olu Omotayo, has issued a pre-action notice to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC), over alleged failure of the agency to release the outcome of investigation into a reported case of spoilt peak milk by his client Mr Paul Eze.
In the pre action notice addressed to the Director General of NAFDAC and made available to Ikengaonline in Enugu, Omotayo said that on the expiration of the pre action notice, the chamber will take proper legal action against the agency.
He said: We have his instructions and authority to issue this Pre Action Notice.
“This is to inform you that we earlier wrote a letter to you based on the complaints of some citizens that purchased peak milk on different occasions from our client who had purchased them in large quantities in the open market and they turned out to be spoilt and not good for human consumption.”
According to the civil rights lawyer, a letter dated January 25, 2023 was written by his client to Enugu Zonal office of NAFDAC which prompted the agency’s officials to visit Paul Eze’s shop on the 8th February 2023.
“And took away tins of milk of the same batch with the spoilt peak liquid milk and promised to revert back to him after laboratory test to be conducted on the affected peak milk tins.
“When our client did not get any response from the agency we wrote a letter on his behalf demanding to know the outcome of investigation in respect of his complaint in respect of the this matter.
“Another letter was written to the agency on August 4, 2023, demanding the release of the outcome of the investigation but till date our client has heard nothing from the agency,” Omotayo.
The rights activist submitted that “citizens of this country are entitled to know the outcome of their complaints to the Agency.”
“This letter is, therefore, important in compliance with Pre Action Notice requirement before instituting action against the Agency and its officials.
“Be informed also that we intend to take appropriate legal action on behalf of our client as soon as the period of one month stipulated by the Law expires,” he said.
The lawyer informed the DG that when taking appropriate legal action on his client’s complaint, he will demand among others a N100,000,000 compensation from the agency.
