FDA dares celebrities ready to defy their orders

Shatta Wale rallied a passionate call on his colleagues to join him in marching to the offices of the FDA and presidency to mount enormous pressure on the authorities to review the ban.

FDA dares celebrities ready to defy their orders
Shatta Wale

Head of Industry Support Services Department of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Mr Kofi Essel has thrown a challenge to Shatta Wale and other Ghanaian celebrities who are ready to defy their orders to go ahead and do so if indeed they are willing to face the laws of the state.

According to him, Ghana has the interest of the youth at heart by offering them protection therefore if Nigerians permit alcoholic companies to sign celebrities into advertising for them, the situation is different in Ghana.

“The fact that Nigerian celebrities are allowed to advertise alcoholic beverages doesn’t necessarily translate to the situation in Ghana.

"We have made a concrete observation with the influence of celebrities on minors and we’ve come up with regulations that will safeguard our situation,” he said.

The FDA about five years ago made it known that celebrities could not advertise alcoholic products explaining that the ban is an adherence to a World Health Organization (WHO) policy and efforts to ensure that minors are protected from being lured into alcoholism.

Lots of Ghanaian musicians have protested the idea on their social media handles and condemned the FDA’s approach which according to them serves as their major source of income.

 

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Speaking in an interview with Mzgee on 3FM’s Showbuzz show, the FDA official stressed that the fact that Nigerian celebrities are permitted to advertise alcoholic products does not necessarily mean that Ghanaian celebrities will also be given the mandate to do same.

He reiterated that the FDA would remain steadfast in its quest to protect the future of the Ghanaian youth especially as they are been backed by the government of Ghana to carry out such initiative, hence, Shatta Wale and co should desist from defying their orders.

“There’s a law in Ghana which is the public health act of 2012, Act 251 and that act says that for the FDA to do its work, FDA have to draw guidelines and these guidelines have been developed.

These guidelines say that you can not do this, you go ahead and try it. Let anyone go ahead and try it and we’ll see whether there are laws in Ghana or not.” Mr Essel dared celebrities