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Entrepreneur calls for abolishment of anti-local gin law, urges Nigerians to be innovative

Yenagoa—Bayelsa-born inventor and entrepreneur, Mr. Azibola Robert, has reiterated his call for the proper utilization of the country’s natural resources.

He made the call when he played host to media practitioners in Bayelsa State to a dinner in Yenagoa to mark the end of his expedition entitled “Expedition into the deep forests” which is meant to appreciate nature’s beauty and highlight the negative use of the forests.

The lawyer and self-taught engineer, while highlighting the stigma associated with the production and consumption of locally-produced gin popularly known as “kai kai” called on the government to abolish the law banning its production and use.

According to Robert, the law which came into effect during the colonial era is being used as a tool to promote the consumption of foreign-made alcoholic gins.

He averred that the law has negatively affected the thoughts of many Nigerians to think that kai kai is of no value.

“How do we reconcile the fact that Gordon gin is a percentage of alcohol mixed with water and kai Kai is also a percentage of alcohol mixed with water and Gordon gin is legal and Kai Kai is not legal?

“I don’t drink kai kai, I don’t take alcohol but I owe it as a point of duty to my ancestors and the people whose primary occupation is brewing of kai kai to bring this issue to the front burner.

“Gordon gin is a local gin of a people somewhere in the world, I don’t really know its origin. Hennessey is a local gin of people even Coca-Cola was a local drink of a people.

“How come the kai kai that we brew here is illicit. For example, if you are found with a keg of kai kai on the road, you’ll be likely arrested by the police.

“But if you take a truckload of Gordon gin or Hennessey you will go free. How do we bring ourselves to this situation,” he asked?

Robert, who is the founder of Zeetin Engineering, further called for the modernization of the brewing of kai kai to enable it to have more value.

According to him, the only way for Nigeria to develop is for the country to start producing what it consumes and rely less on foreign-made commodities.

While revealing that his next project will be a boat cruise from Lagos to the Atlantic Coast of the Niger Delta, Robert encouraged Nigerians to be innovative in their thinking.

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