NAFDAC Don’t Have Power to Regulate Spiritual Products – Bishops Protest Against Jeremiah Fufeyin’s Ordeal
On Tuesday, over seven Bishops, led by Metropolitan Archbishop Samuel Baaba of the Charismatic Anglican Church of Nigeria, protested at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) office in Asaba, Delta State. They called on NAFDAC to refrain from regulating spiritual products, particularly those of Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin’s Christ MercyLand Deliverance Ministry.
The protesters, who braved heavy rain, carried placards with inscriptions such as “Spiritual products have spiritual backing, don’t need NAFDAC approval” and “When it comes to spiritual, respect it.” They argued that NAFDAC has no authority to regulate spiritual products, citing the agency’s limited jurisdiction in matters of faith.
According to Archbishop Baaba, “We are men of God and we are here in solidarity to send a message to NAFDAC to refrain from its step over spiritual matters. NAFDAC does not have the right to regulate spiritual products. There is a limit to what people can do, especially when it comes to matters of faith.”
Rector Calixtus Ewurum of the Union Theological Institute and Seminary, Port Harcourt, Evangelical Church, added, “To the best of my knowledge, and which I have read through the NAFDAC Act, 2004 if there is an amendment, I don’t know, where it could regulate spiritual products. NAFDAC doesn’t have the right to declare the products fake when it never tested the product. NAFDAC should outline clearly what is wrong with the water.”
The protest follows NAFDAC’s Director General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye’s warning against Fufeyin’s “Miracle & Healing Water” and “River Jordan Water”, stating they were not registered with the agency. However, the Bishops claim NAFDAC has no jurisdiction over spiritual products and should not interfere with religious practices.
The controversy highlights the ongoing debate between religious freedom and regulatory oversight, raising questions about the limits of government authority in matters of faith.
