The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria has appealed to state governors to check the excesses of security agents in their domains disturbing manufacturers from carrying out production, under the pretence of enforcing government-imposed lockdown.

He, however, commended the Nigeria Governors Forum for its commitment to ensure that the manufacturing sector continue to produce products to ensure that the citizens were sustained at a time of crisis like this occasioned by coronavirus.

He said MAN would continue to hold talks with the NGF to ensure that the sector continued to perform optimally.

He said, “The directive of the NGF has yielded good outcomes in some states as our members have testified to unhindered operations in the face of the lockdown.

“But notwithstanding, some security operatives in other states are not yielding, particularly the rank and file in the field.

“To address this setback, we are in talks with the NGF to give the necessary directives for adequate sensitisation of officers who are unyielding to giving manufacturers of essential products easy movement hampering the chain of distribution.”

Ahmed also commended the federal and state governments’ unrelenting efforts in disseminating timely and useful information, which had helped Nigerians take wise and important decisions as the nation battled the scourge of COVID-19.

He said MAN was glad that the government recognised the crucial sectors such as the food, beverage, pharmaceutical and other complementing sectors that made the value chain of essential products.