By: Eddy Atunzu

Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, it is a distinct honor and privilege to stand before you today to articulate what Edlen International envisions for Nigeria beginning this year 2003. To better understand this vision it is necessary that I very briefly introduce our company, Edlen International, Inc. who made it possible for us all to gather here today. Founded in 1986 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, Edlen International has been engaged in the production and distribution of EDC-95 and the EDC-2000 that enables the bakers to maximize their yield and profits in the bread making process. Our EDC-2000 is an oxidation compound that is a safe, functional and complete replacement for the potassium bromate. Both products have been duly licensed by NAFDAC. Edlen International operates in several countries including: USA< Mexico, Peoples Republic of China, Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria. We have representatives from USA for this even today.

Edlen has watched the Nigeria NAFDAC battle to eradicate potassium bromate (a known carcinogen) from the food supply for some years now. The name NAFDAC instills awe in the hearts of many Nigerians; but nowhere is this more apparent now than in the baking industry. The scourge of bromate has been reduced considerably but the enormous lure of profit and ignorance still motivates many bakers to continue to us it (directly or disguised as bromate free bread improvers) while watching surreptitiously to see which bakery is caught next and closed down by NAFDAC. This measure of success has been achieved by NAFDAC under the great leadership of Dr. Dora Akunyili. Her great management style applauded by many renowned institutions worldwide was best portrayed recently in an article published December 3rd, 2003 by the Nigerian This Day Newspaper title: “NAFDAC A STUDY IN MANAGEMENT”.

The daily use of this poisonous bromate in many bakeries across the nation continues to expose unsuspecting Nigerians to cancer and other diseases. The time has therefore come for all well meaning Nigerians and friends of Nigeria to join hands with Dr. Akunyili as she tirelessly battles the unscrupulous providers and users of bromate in bread. Today therefore before you and all Nigerians present, Edlen pledges to stand beside Dr. Dora Akunyili and her entire staff nationwide to eradicate this evil called bromate. With the support of the Government, NAFDAC, the National Association of Master Bakers and Caterers and all well meaning Nigerians, Edlen will implement its master plan to not only defeat this scourge, but to also begin to rebuild the heath of the Nigerian citizens that has been ravaged by the consumption of potassium bromate and other fake drugs. Edlen shall accomplish these in the following ways:

1. We shall systematically organize workshops in every nook and corner of Nigeria to teach all the bakers how to make even better bread without the use of bromate. Since December 1, 2003, we have conducted workshops in Lagos, Shagumu, Kano and Kaduna. Next week, we have scheduled the same for Ibadan and Maiduguri. We shall continue until every local government of Nigeria has been covered.
2. We shall directly provide the bakers a good bromate substitute (EDC-2000) at a low price that will naturally remove the lure of cheap profit that kept them dependent on bromate. We have shown them how to invest 184 Naira in a bag of flour and reap an additional 740 Naira in profit (over and above your normal profit).
3. We shall work with NAFDAC and the flour milling industry to eliminate additional chemicals in the milling process. The bakers need only bleached flour with addition of EDC-2000 and EDC-95 at the bakeries to make good bread.
4. We shall develop and maintain a constant campaign in all aspects of the media to ensure the entire Nigerian population is sensitized to the dangers of bromate until everyone begins to question the bread content.
5. We shall sponsor the establishment of an NGO called Media Action Against Bromate (MAAD) to act as a watchdog group and help provide information to law enforcement that will lead to the eliminate of crime.
6. To help repair the damage done by bromate and begin to rebuild the health of the people, Edlen has decided to single handedly enrich the Nigerian bread by fortifying the EDC-2000 with essential vitamins and minerals. This has been accomplished in many countries by legislative mandate. However, motivated by the success of Dr. Akunyili in the 100% iodization of table salt in Nigeria, Edlen has taken the initiative to provide every Nigerian with out 30% of his or her daily requirement of essential vitamins and minerals by the consumption of a few slices of bread daily. We shall defer to NAFDAC to instruct us on what vitamins and minerals she thinks Nigeria needs to have in bread.
7. Determined to demonstrate our resolve to rebuild the health of Nigerian citizens, Edlen shall begin to set up to manufacture an exceptional health beverage called XCEL at the cost of over $7 million. XCEL is a health-based beverage, the alternative to sugar laden soft drinks, fortified with up to 40% of our daily requirements in essential vitamins and minerals. XCEL is the endorsed drink of the U.S. Tennis Association.
8. Edlen shall work closely with the Ministry of Sports Youth & Culture to develop or improve existing inter-secondary school soccer and athletic competition among the six geo-political zones of the country. Edlen shall donate various trophies to be vied for annually by all the schools. At the end of each year, Edlen shall make large monetary donations to the winning schools to redeem and represent the trophies for new contests. Through this process, we shall continue to sensitize the young children to the dangers of unhealthy chemicals in bread and drinks and the need to maintain good health through balance nutrition with essential vitamins and minerals.

We shall work with members of the National Association of Master Bakers, most of who are very responsible citizens, to provide healthy bread. We shall teach the young ones to ask questions; to discriminate in food choices in such a way that will remove the prerogative of choice of good health the food providers. However, the unscrupulous poison sellers can make their bromate-laden bread but the child buying the bread shall learn to read the label. When your bromate-laden bread sits for weeks on the store shelves and your unsold loaves fill your entire bakery, no one will tell you to stop using bromate. NAFDACE will not need to chase you anymore. Dr. Akunyili and her staff shall turn their attention to the issues. This is our vision. This is our plan. We shall not stop until the battered health of Nigerian citizens has been turned around. Henceforth, while NAFDAC safeguards the health of the nation, EDLEN shall rebuild the health of the nation. In the end, when a person east a few slices of bread and drinks 12 ounces of XCEL, he or she would have gotten up to 70% of their daily requirement of essential vitamins and minerals.

Thank you ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for listening and thank you for your support.