Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa
A Niger Delta Lawyer, inventor and cousin to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Azibaola Robert, has called on lawmakers in Bayelsa and other state National Assemblies to advocate for a lift on the ban on locally brewed gin popularly called ‘ogogoro.’
He equally called on both the federal and state governments to expunge the obnoxious law banning the local gin disclosing that if properly harnessed, the product could be a source of revenue income for both the locals and the governments.
Speaking to journalists after what he said was his 14-day expedition into the deep forest, he said he was pained that local gin was still regarded as illicit gin and therefore outlawed in all states of the federation.
While expressing concern over the ban placed many years ago by the colonial masters, Robert stated that alcoholic drinks brewed abroad were not different from the locally brewed ones, maintaining that the erroneous belief has hindered the growth of that industry in the country.
Robert said he was sad when he found out that a man that had been brewing the product for 30 years but have tangible gain, only getting daily from the sales, said: “Kaikai (local gin) is a basic occupation of our people. How for God’s sake can Kaikai be labelled as illicit drink for 60 years.
“People whose livelihood is to brew the local gin are arrested while those who deal on alcoholic gins brewed abroad are treated as doing normal business.
“People spend N50,000 to N60,000 for these foreign gins and do not do same for the local alcohol, there is no difference between the two, they are all mixtures of water, coloring, flavor and alcohol.
“Those foreign drinks are local drinks of people elsewhere just like our own ‘Kaikai’ is brewed here, the only thing is that we have failed to identify the potentials of our own and act accordingly.”
Speaking on his 14-day expedition into the deep forest, Robert said the adventure was a great experience in the sense that it was historic and hope that it continue next year until the world notice that there is potentials in the Niger Delta rain forest.
“Seriously, I didn’t know we will be able to achieve it but we achieved it and we have been able to get serious documentation for TV and other agencies.
“We are going to publish a major documentary out of it and put it on national and international television and push it through national geographic and I intend to do it annually so we have created the interests that we have been talking about,” he added.
