Champion Brewery Plc Directors Sabotage Company Trust On Outsourcing Logistics, Ignores Champion Brewery Transporters For 5 Years, Impoverishes Them

By Cynthia Igbokwe, Mobile Correspondent

Tension is brewing at Uyo ,Akwa-Ibom state following a showdown being planned by the Champion Brewery Transporters against the Board of Directors and Management of Champion Brewery Limited.

The Champion Brewery Transporters accused the Board of Directors and management of ignoring their welfare for five years while sabotaging the company trust on outsourcing of logistics by owing transport companies and outsourcing to their relatives against international standards practices.

This was revealed in a communiqué obtained by newsmen from the Brewery detailing wrong doings by the Brewery to its transporters

The communique sighted by our Correpondent in Uyo was signed…

The communique was issued after an extraordinary meeting of the Champion Brewery Transporters on April 30th, 2026 after several waiting for a response to their letter failed.

The Champion Brewery Transporters executives signed the communique. They are
Anozie Valentine,
De KonCaro Concepts; Ephraim Ekwenugo,
DON Emmy Global Resources ; Johnmary Anyaorah, Don Vianny Resources ; John Okwuchukwu Alua, RAGEK Logistics limited; Johnson Usang
JOEFUS Global Logistics limited
and
Ubah Stanley Chinonso,
Emmanuel Beverages limited as well as
Konnberg.

According to the communique, the transporters frowned at the continued outsourcing of Brewery Logistics to cronies of members of management and Directors with impunity ,yet punishing the registered transporters of the Brewery.

They noted that globally, it is standard practice for breweries and beverage companies to outsource their logistics operations giving examples of Coca-Cola, Nigerian Breweries Plc, and 7UP Bottling Company, among others as abiding by this standards while Champion Brewery Limited s sabotaging that with impunity.

They said such practice of owners of companies and workers getting involved risks corporate liabilities and transparency.

The communique noted: “Globally, it is standard practice for breweries and beverage companies to outsource their logistics operations.
This practice reduces corporate liabilities and improves transparency.
Presently, the transport arm of the brewery appears to serve the interests of a few individuals connected with the brewery, thereby creating a conflict of interest.
A brewery staff member, whether contract or permanent, should not own a transport company while simultaneously managing the brewery fleet operations. Such practices are not in the best interest of the company”.

The communique by Champion Brewery Transporters further read: “Prolonged Delay of Trucks at Distributor Points.
We previously agreed that the brewery would work closely with distributors to ensure timely offloading and discharge of trucks at distributor locations. Unfortunately, this agreement has not been enforced.
Transporters continue to lose valuable man-hours without compensation from the brewery. In some cases, trucks are held by distributors for up to two weeks at a stretch. This is unhealthy for business operations.
We therefore request that this issue be urgently addressed or that compensation be paid for truck idle time, which is standard industry practice.

“The Brewery transporters called for a performance review of their partnership with the company in the last six years.

Their word: “We would also like to present a brief review of the outcome of our partnership with Champion Brewery Plc over the past six years:
Don Emmy started operations with 19 new trucks; today, only 3 trucks remain.
Johnmary started with 5 trucks; today, only 3 remain.
Chinonso Uba started with 14 trucks; today, only 9 remain.
Utvas started with 14 trucks; today, none remain.
Konberg started with 14 trucks; today, only 3 remain. George started with 5 trucks; today, only 3 remain.
The list continues, but the above examples sufficiently illustrate the situation.
The simple analysis is that transporters who have partnered with the company over the years have been unable to acquire new trucks from the proceeds of their partnership with Champion Brewery Plc. Rather than grow alongside the company, many transporters have experienced significant decline, as evidenced above.

“This clearly reflects the unfavorable working conditions that have hindered the growth and sustainability of transporters working with the company.
We therefore respectfully request that the company urgently address these issues and change the current narrative for the mutual benefit of both Champion Brewery Plc and its transport partners.

” At the meeting, it was unanimously agreed that this communiqué be forwarded as a reminder to the earlier letter sent through our Secretariat requesting for a meeting with the management of Champion Brewery Plc. It is worthy of note that the said letter has been ignored till date.
During the meeting, the following issues were discussed and resolutions reached as follows:

” Quarterly Meetings
We previously had an agreement with Champion Brewery Plc to convene quarterly meetings with transporters. It is now over two years since the last meeting was held. We therefore request the company to return to the full implementation of this agreement.

” Incentives for Long-Distance Deliveries
It was agreed that incentives would be paid to transporters handling long-distance deliveries. Unfortunately, this agreement has not been implemented for over four years. We therefore request the immediate implementation of the agreed incentives.

“Freight Increment
We agreed that freight rates should be reviewed periodically to reflect prevailing economic realities and inflation in the country. At the time this agreement was made, the highest brewery product sold for about ₦4,600 per SKU. Today, the least-priced product sells for over ₦10,000 per SKU.
The last freight increase of just 1% was implemented over two years ago, despite the fact that the cost of truck maintenance and AGO (Automotive Gas Oil) has increased by over 100% within the same period. We therefore request an urgent upward review of freight rates to reflect the current inflationary trend.

“Timely Payment of Bills
It has now become a practice for transporters to be paid once a month, and in some cases once every two months, contrary to the weekly payment arrangement previously agreed upon.
The company continues to hold transporters’ funds, which serve as our working capital, until inflation significantly erodes their value. This has made truck maintenance increasingly difficult. We therefore request a return to the agreed weekly payment structure.

” Payment Breakdown and Transparency
Globally, it is considered good accounting practice for payment breakdowns to be shared with partners one or two days before payments are made, in order to ensure transparency, accountability, and clarity.
Although this was agreed upon, it has not been implemented. Transporters are often compelled to make repeated calls after payments have been made before obtaining breakdowns, and sometimes such requests yield little or no response. Where accounting mistakes occur, affected funds are rarely recovered.
We therefore request that this practice be discontinued and that the company returns to the earlier agreed procedure.

“Communication Breakdown
Poor communication has become a major challenge in our operations. AGO prices are adjusted arbitrarily without prior notice to transporters. As a result, transporters operate blindly without clear knowledge of the company’s next line of action.
Communication is currently sectional and inconsistent, which is unhealthy for business operations. We request that the company return to proper communication channels, particularly official written communications such as emails, before implementing major decisions.

“Double Debits
AGO charges and trade return losses are sometimes debited twice from transporters without subsequent reversal. Whenever discrepancies are identified and clarification is requested, no officer appears willing or able to explain the transactions involved.
We therefore request that proper accounting procedures and transparent bookkeeping systems be maintained to prevent avoidable financial losses.

“One Hundred Percent Product Checks Before Loading
It was previously agreed that a 100% check would be conducted on products before loading them onto transporters’ trucks. We even offered to employ personnel who would monitor the process.
However, since the exit of the previous investors, incidents involving shortages, missing bottles, and empty bottles originating from the brewery have increased astronomically, thereby subjecting transporters to avoidable losses and difficulties.
We therefore request the immediate reinstatement of the 100% product verification process before loading. It is unfair for transporters to bear the financial consequences of losses arising within the brewery.

” Clear Accounting System
The issue of transparent accounting cannot be overemphasized, as it has remained one of our major concerns for over five years. Several promises have been made without implementation, and the issue remains unresolved till date.
We therefore request the establishment of a clear, transparent, and simplified accounting system.

“Outsourcing of Brewery Logistics
Globally, it is standard practice for breweries and beverage companies to outsource their logistics operations. Examples include Coca-Cola, Nigerian Breweries Plc, and 7UP Bottling Company, among others.
This practice reduces corporate liabilities and improves transparency. Presently, the transport arm of the brewery appears to serve the interests of a few individuals connected with the brewery, thereby creating a conflict of interest.
A brewery staff member, whether contract or permanent, should not own a transport company while simultaneously managing the brewery fleet operations. Such practices are not in the best interest of the company.

The communique concluded: “Prolonged Delay of Trucks at Distributor Points
We previously agreed that the brewery would work closely with distributors to ensure timely offloading and discharge of trucks at distributor locations. Unfortunately, this agreement has not been enforced.
Transporters continue to lose valuable man-hours without compensation from the brewery. In some cases, trucks are held by distributors for up to two weeks at a stretch. This is unhealthy for business operations.
We therefore request that this issue be urgently addressed or that compensation be paid for truck idle time, which is standard industry practice.
PERFORMANCE REVIEW OF OUR PARTNERSHIP OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS
We would also like to present a brief review of the outcome of our partnership with Champion Brewery Plc over the past six years:
Don Emmy started operations with 19 new trucks; today, only 3 trucks remain.
Johnmarry started with 5 trucks; today, only 3 remain.
Chinonso Uba started with 14 trucks; today, only 9 remain.
Utvas started with 14 trucks; today, none remain.
Konberg started with 14 trucks; today, only 3 remain.
George started with 5 trucks; today, only 3 remain.
The list continues, but the above examples sufficiently illustrate the situation.
The simple analysis is that transporters who have partnered with the company over the years have been unable to acquire new trucks from the proceeds of their partnership with Champion Brewery Plc. Rather than grow alongside the company, many transporters have experienced significant decline, as evidenced above.
This clearly reflects the unfavorable working conditions that have hindered the growth and sustainability of transporters working with the company.
We therefore respectfully request that the company urgently address these issues and change the current narrative for the mutual benefit of both Champion Brewery Plc and its transport partners”,he concluded.

Efforts by our Correspondent to reach the Managing Director of Champion Brewery Limited or any of the management staff or Board members yielded no fruits..