Prof Augustine Ogbonna, a professor of Brewing Science and Technology at the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of Uyo, has stated that there is no biblical prohibition against moderate alcohol consumption.
He stated that, contrary to popular belief, moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages can be beneficial to health.
Ogbonna spoke on Saturday while presenting the University of Uyo’s 102 inaugural lecture titled “From Barley to Sorghum: A Paradigm Shift for Nigerians in the Brewing Industry.”
He criticised what he saw as beliefs and emotions shared by some religious leaders that alcohol intake is a sin, quoting extensively from the scriptures to back up his claim.
The professor stated that Jesus Christ never preached against the use of alcohol and, like other Jews, recommended people to drink in moderation.
He expressed dismay that both Muslims and Christians frowned on alcohol drinking but took a portion of the taxes collected from its manufacturing and sale, saying that despite these religious feelings, alcohol consumption remains a social activity.
He stated, “Wine and other beverages are frequently mentioned in the Bible as intoxicating, suggesting that they are alcoholic.” The scriptures have a lot to say about drinking alcohol.
“Wine was first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 14: 18 when Melchidek, a priest of the most high God, brought forth bread and wine for Abraham and his companion. God even commanded his people in Deut. 14:26 to enjoy wine at their yearly festivals.
”In addition to using wine as beverage, God also commanded the Levitical priests to include in the sacrifices, a portion of wine (‘yayan”) as a drink offering (Ex. 29:40).in (Gen: 27:28) ,a blessing of wine was prophesied as a heritage of the chosen people. ”
While concluding, the professor added, “There is nothing in either the Old Testament or the New Testament that opposes the moderate use of alcoholic beverages as they are beneficial to health.”
He emphasised that alcohol in moderation is neither toxic nor addictive, and that certain medical specialists recommend consuming modest amounts of red wine for its health benefits, particularly for the heart.
As a result, he advised the Federal Government to halt policy reversal and instead focus on producing a sorghum breed capable of replacing imported barley as the primary ingredient of beer production in the country.