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Firm petitions NAFDAC, seeks clarification over reports of product counterfeiting

Bullion Go-Neat Global Limited has again asked the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to expose those responsible for counterfeiting its products known as “Coco Samba Milk and Chocolate Flavoured With Herbal Extract.”

The manufacturing company, in a statement made available to journalists, noted that NAFDAC also needs to show transparency and credibility by doing everything necessary to back up its report on falsified Coco Samba products.

The company averred that clarifications would become necessary after NAFDAC released a statement alerting the public to a falsified Coco Samba that was allegedly intercepted in Germany.

According to NAFDAC, an investigation revealed that the product with “A4-9149” is falsified and different from that obtained from the NAFDAC database, “A8-4418L,” for the genuine product.

Meanwhile, Bullion Go-Neat Global Limited and its CEO, Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi, clarified that the company has stopped producing the product with registration “A8-4418L.”

“It is imperative to clarify that prior to the registration of Coco Samba Milk and Chocolate Flavoured with Herbal Extract, our company produced Cocosamba Bitters Alcoholic Drinks with NAFDAC No. A8-4418L.

However, due to low market demand, the production of Coco Samba Bitters Alcoholic Drink was discontinued, and it has not been produced since the expiry date of the licence,” the CEO of Bullion Go-neat Global Limited stated.

Ajadi also confirmed that the genuine registration number for Coco Samba Milk and Chocolate Flavoured with Herbal Extract is A8-9149 and not A8-4418L, as reported by NAFDAC.

The CEO urged NAFDAC to do its job well by informing the public properly. He noted that it was unacceptable that the agency that registered and certified Coco Samba Milk and Chocolate Flavoured with Herbal Extract could not provide proper information to the public.

Ajadi added that he was surprised when he read that falsified Coco Samba was intercepted in Germany.

He further expressed frustration that, to date, NAFDAC has yet to reach out to Bullion Go-Neat or submit any laboratory report to back up the circulated report.

According to him, “nobody served us any letter or notice concerning the alleged interception of our product in Germany. We approached several departments in NAFDAC, and we were told there were no such complaints about our product anywhere.

“So, how did the report get to their website? Some media houses also began to report it without reaching out to us. We believe good journalism requires hearing from all sides before publication, but we were not consulted and our opinion wasn’t sought.“

“As a company paying taxes to the government and providing employment to Nigerians, we deserve a say in whatever is going on or that will affect our company.”