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  • Rite Foods Partners Food Meets Naija Initiative to End Hunger in Nigeria

    Rite Foods Partners Food Meets Naija Initiative to End Hunger in Nigeria

     

    Rite Foods Limited, Nigeria’s leading food and beverage company has restated its commitment to end hunger in Nigeria with its sponsorship of Charity With Food (CWF 2021) where 1,000 children were fed in Lagos, with a novelty match organized to Kick Out Hunger at the Campus Mini Stadium, Lagos Island.

     

    CWF 2021 is themed ‘The Race to Curb the Menace of Malnutrition and Hunger Amongst Hard-to-Reach Children in Nigeria.’

     

     It is a program of Food Meets Naija Initiative, a Non-Governmental Organization striving to curb the menace of hunger and malnutrition amongst children in Nigeria.

     

    The Food Meets Naija Initiative helps people who suffer from hunger – from kids who do not get enough to eat, to the homeless, elderly, physically challenged, low-income households as well as people below poverty level.

     

    Rite Foods, the leading food and beverage company sponsored the event where it supported the platform with its array of fantastically refreshing Bigi drinks, energy drinks, premium water and sausages to rejuvenate the children and other consumers, thereby helping to achieve the goal of curbing hunger in the society.

     

    Boluwatife Adedugbe, Asst. Brand Manager, Beverage and Bakery, Rite Foods Limited stated that the initiative aligns with the company’s commitment to curbing hunger and ensuring food security in Nigeria.

     

     “The need to eliminate hunger from the society is paramount to all and we believe that Rite Foods contribution is vital to the success in the fight and victory against hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity in Nigeria,” she said.

     

    Ms. Adedugbe further appended that the problem of hunger is a collective responsibility that requires all sectors to participate, be it public or private while also reassuring of the company’s readiness to always partner with platforms that make an impact in the lives of people.

     

    Feeding 1,000 children, empowerment, novelty match, karaoke, networking, celebrity meet and greet with other refreshing and exciting activities that entertained the children and consumers were some of the highlights of the Charity With Food 2021 event.

     

    According to the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), around 1.15 million children aged 6-59 months are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2021, with more than half of them (605,000) expected to be severely malnourished.

     

    Rite Foods sponsorship of CWF 2021 initiative has demonstrated the company’s commitment to attaining the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda of zero hunger, by giving back to the community with not only refreshing beverages but also operate on the highest world standards on the continent.

     

    The leading food and beverage manufacturer has helped to bring a meaningful difference to the lives of children and consumers, with an enduring impact on its host community. From 2008 till date, Rite Foods Limited has impacted thousands of children, schools and several NGOs and communities across Nigeria.

     

  • Energy Drink War: Rite Foods Loses As Court Sets Aside Contempt Suit Against NBC, MD

    Energy Drink War: Rite Foods Loses As Court Sets Aside Contempt Suit Against NBC, MD

     

    … awards cost of N1 million against Rite Foods

     

     

    A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has set aside the contempt proceedings, instituted by Rite Foods Limited against Nigerian Bottling Company and it’s managing director, Mr Mattieu Seguin, for alleged disobedience to court order.

     

    The court on Wednesday held that there was no subsisting order that was disobeyed by the respondents.

     

    Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa held that his learned brother Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke had on September 27, 2021, discharged and set aside the committal proceedings.

     

    The Judge therefore awarded punitive cost of N500,000 each in favour of NBC and the alleged second contempnor, against the plaintiff, (Rite Food Limited).

     

    In it’s ruling, the court set aside the order of committal proceeding in its entirety including all processes used by plaintiff in the proceedings.

     

    Justice Lewis-Allagoa held that the court cannot an vacate existing order.

     

     “The Motion filed by the plaintiff is qualified as nullity. A foundation of any committal proceedings is for a valid judgment, where there is no valid judgment it can not be used. Committal proceedings can only exist haven been that the order is still enforceable, the motion dated October 15 and 18, filed by the respondents has merit. I hereby set aside in it’s entirety the committal proceedings, including all the processes”, the judge held.

     

    At the last hearing of the suit, counsel to NBC, Mr Matins Okonma and that of the NBC’s managing director, Mr Oluseye Opasanya ,SAN, had urged the court to set aside the committal proceedings as the exparte order complained of has been discharged.

     

    Opasanya had also informed the court that he filed a motion on notice dated October 18 and supported with seven paragraph affidavit together with one exhibit.

     

    He told the court that he brought the motion to strike out the suit on a number of reasons. Counsel to the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC), Ngo Matins Okonma, has also told the court that he filed an application dated October 15, 2021 and a motion on notice in respect of the application to regularise the application dated November 11.

     

    In his motion on notice, he asked the court to set aside the order of committal proceeding in its entirety including all processes used by plaintiff in the proceedings. They both argued that since the said order has been discharged, the court cannot punish an alleged contemnor for any breach.

     

     “The order upon which committal proceedings was premised on has been discharged/ set aside by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke on September 27, 2021.

     

    NBC had prayed the court to set aside the contempt suit and award punitive costs against Rite Foods if it finds no basis for the contempt proceedings.

     

    Counsel to Rite Food. Mr Muyiwa Ogungbemiro in his own counter affidavit sworn to by Francis Omoniyi, dated October 21,2021 and a written address to support their case asked the court to dismiss the Contemnors motion to set aside the committal proceedings.

     

    He submitted that contrary to the position of counsel to the contemnors, the court has the power to punish a contemnor for an offence committed during the pendency of an order.

     

    Ogungbemiro added that the order of court complained of was violated during the pendency of the order and this require that the violator must be punished for such act.

     

    After listening to arguments by both parties, the trial judge, Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa adjourned ruling on the application till December 1, 2021.

     

    It would be recalled that Rite Food had dragged NBC and it’s managing director to court over alleged trademark infringement.

     

  • Energy Drink Brand War: Court Rules On Contempt Between NBC, Rite Foods Dec 1

    Energy Drink Brand War: Court Rules On Contempt Between NBC, Rite Foods Dec 1

     

    A Federal High Court, Lagos on Monday fixed December 1, 2021 to deliver its ruling on a contempt proceedings filed by Rite Foods against the Managing Director of Nigerian Bottling Company(NBC), Mathieu Seguin over alleged trademark infringement.

     

    Earlier, NBC had filed an application before the court seeking to dismiss the contempt application against Seguin.

     

    The trial judge, Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa fixed December 1, 2021 for ruling on the application after listening to the argument and submissions of counsel to parties in the suit.

     

    At the resumed proceedings, counsel to NBC’s MD, Mr. Oluseye Opasanya (SAN),  informed the court that he filed motion on notice dated October 18 supported with seven paragraph affidavit together with one exhibit.

     

    Opesanya said that he brought a motion to strike out the suit on a number of reasons.

     

    Earlier, counsel to the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC), Ngo Matins Okonma told court that he filed an application dated October 15, 2021 and a motion on notice in respect of the application to regularise the application dated November 11.

     

    In his motion on notice, he prayed for the order of court to set aside the committal proceeding in its entirety including all processes used by plaintiff in the proceedings

     

    Opesanya and Okonma argued that the contempt  order has been discharged.

     

    “The order upon which committal proceedings was premised on has been discharged, set aside by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke on  September 27, 2021.

     

    NBC prayed the court to dismiss contempt suit and award punitive costs against Rite Foods if it finds no basis for the contempt proceedings. The senior lawyer therefore urged the court to grant their application and dismiss the case.

     

    However, in his response, the plaintiff counsel, Mr. Muyiwa  Ogungbenro told court that he filed counter affidavit sworn to by Francis Omoniyi, dated October 21,2021 and a written address to support their case.

     

    He prayed the court to dismiss all application filed to set aside the contempt proceedings.

     

    After listening to the argument and submissions of the parties, Justice Lweis-Allagoa adjourned ruling to Dec 1, 2021.

     

    It would be recalled that on September 27, 2021  Justice Aneke upheld the objection filed by NBC’s counsel, suspending further hearing of Rite Foods’ case and discharged the ex-parte order granted Rite Foods against NBC and its privies.

     

    The court also refused Rite Foods’ motion for interlocutory injunction seeking to prevent NBC from marketing or distributing Predator Energy drink in Nigeria.

    Energy Drink Brand War: Court Rules On Contempt Between NBC, Rite Foods Dec 1

    Although the court agreed with the plaintiff that the instant suit is not an abuse of court process, but held that “to avoid confusion, this court will cease from further hearing of this suit to allow other suits go on. I, therefore, discharge the order made by me to allow the instant suit go on.”

     

    When the matter came up for hearing before Justice Lewis-Allagoa, Mr. Oluseye Opasanya (SAN) and Mr. Mark Mordi, counsel to NBC and its Managing Director informed the court that since Rite Foods’ counsel had failed to withdraw the contempt suit, they had no option than to file a formal motion to have the contempt suit dismissed with substantial costs against Rite Foods.

     

    Opasanya told the court that he has an application dated October 18 and filed on October 21, 2021, seeking to quash the contempt against his client. He reiterated that Justice Aneke had discharged the exparte order made against his client on September 17, 2021.

     

    Opasanya (SAN), prayed the court to set aside or dismiss the entire suit.

     

    The NBC said that there has been no trademark violation or passing off with its Predator Energy drink and maintains that the  Predator brand logo had been in existence and in use in many markets even prior to the launch of Fearless by Rite Foods in the Nigerian market.