NAFDAC to address Nigerians in pidgin English on Radio, TV over illegal activities

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is planning to begin a Pidgin English programme on radio and television to enlighten Nigerians on the consequences of illicit acts in the health sector.

Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, the agency’s Director-General stated this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

Adeyeye said that the idea became necessary following the high level of illiteracy among some Nigerians on the use of some chemicals in food processing.

She said that it was also to raise awareness and enlightenment campaign to stop all the unhealthy activities in the health sector.

The DG, who expressed dismay over the alleged use of bleaching detergent for cassava processing to induce ‘whiteness of fufu and garri’ admonished the perpetrators to desist as it portends great danger to the health of the consumers.

“Using bleach detergent to whitening `Garri’ and to ferment `Fufu,’ this is a piece of news to me; this is ignorance on the part of Nigerians, we have to keep on enlightening our people, increase awareness on both radio and TV.

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“We are working towards going on pidgin language, local dialects, maybe because some people don’t understand our message in English and that is why they have decided to be doing what they are doing,” she said.

On the allegations of poultry farmers using detergents as a supplement for their birds, Adeyeye said that the agency would beam its searchlight on it to ensure that the health of the nation is safeguarded.

The DG also stated that the post-marketing surveillance activities of the agency would now be reviewed to ensure the staff of the department goes out for inspection on a quarterly basis.

“We are planning towards a calendar where post-marketing surveillance directorate will be going out on a quarterly basis, marketers, business owners would be surprised as they will be caught unaware.

“If we do not structure it that way, illegal activities of business owners will continue; other things might creep into our mind and caught our attention from doing this,” she stressed.

She, however, urged Nigerians to call-in for any complaint between the hours of 8 a.m to 5 p.m on the following toll-free lines: 08001, 18001623322