Non governmental body and environmental health organisation, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to look closely at theNational Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) Act and the activities of the biotechnology regulatory agency before it is too late.
Executive Director of the organisation, Nnimmo Bassey made the call recently in Abuja at a media parley where he accused the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) of bias and complicity in the importation of illegal Genetically Modified (GM) maize into the country by WACOT Limited in October 2017.
He wondered why the agency went ahead to grant permit of importation of genetically modified crops to the same company which NBMA accused of trying to smuggle in illegal GM maize in October, 2017.
Dr. Rufus Ebegba, Director General of NBMA had said, “the NBMA got an intelligence report on the importation of GM maize into the country. We have no application from anyone on this and we are not aware of any move to bring in this maize. The NBMA Act 2015 has stipulated steps and procedures of the importation, production and processing of GMOs in the country and we will ensure that the act is strictly followed.”
Barely a week after this statement was made however, instead of repatriating the illegal imports, the NBMA issued a public advertisement announcing the application for the importation of Genetically modified maize by WACOT Ltd. The agency went ahead to issue a permit to WACOT Ltd to import GM maize into Nigeria for three years, in December 2017.
HOMEF condemned the approval, describing it as a ploy to flood the country with genetically modified foods, which the organisation insists are not safe for human consumption. Mr Bassey asked,“If GMOs are actually safe, then why have a regulatory agency for them?”
“This approval may be construed to also permit the release of the seized illegal imports that were to be repatriated. If this is so, the action will fly patently in the face of the law that requires 270 days notice before imports”, Nnimmo Bassey said.
Bassey lamented that the agency, instead of being a regulatory body had been reduced to a promotion body for GMOs, going by its public statements and activities, especially the process by which it has been issuing approval for GMO applications.
HOMEF has been in the forefront of placing key demands on the Federal Government of Nigeria viz, the protection of Nigeria’s food and environment, the revocation of permits issued to Monsanto and the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) to introduce GMOs into Nigeria; and the review or repeal of the National Biosafety Management Agency Act 2015.
HOMEF is an environmental/ecological think tank and advocacy organization rooted in solidarity and in the building and protection of human and collective dignity. It is based in Nigeria, but has Africa as its focus.
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