Clearing agents at Nigerian Ports have decried the ongoing strike by workers of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.

NAFDAC employeeshad declared an indefinite strikedue to unresolved promotion controversies and welfare concerns.

In a letter dated October 13, the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria criticised NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, for initiating a WhatsApp call with the union’s executives, ordering them to call off the strike.

The letter, signed by the union’s Public Relations Officer, Annabel Onuoha, stated that the union had insisted on a physical meeting with the DG but noted that she had already left the country.

It partly read, “To set the record straight, there was no meeting. Instead, the Director-General initiated a WhatsApp call from the U.S., expressing her displeasure at the union executives for embarking on the strike. Upon her return to the country, she initiated another WhatsApp call on Friday, asking that the strike be called off without any commitment.

“We made it clear that the magnitude of the issues we have could not be resolved through phone calls and demanded a proper meeting. Unfortunately, the DG again departed the country yesterday without attempting to resolve the impasse, displaying outright disregard for over 2,000 NAFDAC staff and millions of Nigerians.”

Speaking on the implications of the strike in an interview with PUNCH Online on Sunday, one of the affected clearing agents, Olatoye Otubade, stated that it had disrupted operations across the sector, particularly for those handling shipments of regulated items such as drugs, cosmetics, and chemicals.

He said, “Yes, it has significantly affected most of the clearing groups. There are certain procedures that specific items need to go through with NAFDAC. They are a crucial part of the maritime and clearing logistics sector in this economy.”

Otubade further noted that inspections and examinations must be completed before clearance for goods under NAFDAC’s purview.

He asserted that due to the strike, inspection processes have been halted, leaving many containers stranded at terminals and accumulating charges.

“Containers sitting at the terminal are incurring charges; daily shipping costs, terminal fees, and other expenses. It’s frustrating because these charges continue to accrue, and no one is waiving them, even though the delays are beyond our control. This, in turn, affects manufacturers and the overall economy. The situation is really putting pressure on us,” he added.

Another agent, who gave his name as Seun, said, “Come to the ports. Their offices are all locked, so we cannot carry out any operations. Right now, we are not able to do anything. They should please resolve their issues; the strike is a huge loss for us.”

In a chat with, NAFDAC’s Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, said efforts are ongoing to meet the striking workers’ demands.

He said, “The matter has been taken up at the ministerial level. Their demands have been transferred to the Head of Service. It is not that we are not doing anything. The union should take the agents and Nigerians into consideration. They should know that their absence on duty could allow contraband products to be smuggled into the country. They should be magnanimous in their demands.”

Akintola also noted that there must be a reason for the DG not meeting the union’s executives physically. (The PUNCH)