Nigerians have been advised to shun buying drugs from vendors who are going about selling drugs at motor parks, markets and other public places because such drugs are expired and rendered impotent due to harsh weather.
The advice was given by the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Christiana Adeyeye, who also raised the alarm that it has been proven that food vendors in the country are applying poisonous chemicals to preserve their food to the detriment of the health of Nigerians.
The NAFDAC DG who was speaking in Bauchi at a stakeholders sensitization meeting held on Tuesday at the Double 4 Events centre in Bauchi, revealed that among the deadly chemicals being used by meat and fish sellers to preserve their products is formalin, a chemical substance used to preserve dead bodies in the mortuaries.
Represented by the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics of the Agency, Pharm Fori Tatama, Mojisola Adeyeye revealed that the Agency has discovered that other chemicals including sniper are abusively used for the preservation of food items at the risk of people’s health.
She warned that the misuse of chemicals on food products was capable of leading to many serious diseases and death, warning that anyone arrested would face the full wrath of the law.
The DG also revealed that sniper, a poisonous chemical, is also being used to preserve kilishi, by sellers in some parts of the country saying, “Sniper is being misused by most Nigerians. If it dries with the kilishi, it can kill the consumer,”.
The DG expressed regret that most food vendors in the country were applying one or the other chemical to food consumed by unsuspecting Nigerians saying that the agency had uncovered kerosene or fuel tankers conveying groundnut oil to markets.
According to her, “Such vegetable oil becomes contaminated and the moment people buy and use it, they will start experience serious illness and diseases,”.
She also said that apart from discouraging Nigerians against patronizing drug hawkers, the agency is also cautioning Nigerians against buying meat that flies are feeling aware of because according to her, “Such meats are possibly laced with dangerous chemicals that chase flies away so Nigerians must be wary.”
Nigerians she advised should also be wary of red palm oil as traders add a dangerous chemical call azo dye to make it reddish and appealing saying that the public enlightenment was to make Nigerians be aware of the development and give information of such practices to NAFDAC in order to arrest and prosecute suspects.
“We should not allow people to put chemicals into the products that we consume. We need to be careful and enlighten our people,” the DG added.
In his remarks, the Emir of Bauchi, Dr Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu, called on every Nigerian to be responsible as no religion encourage traders to carry out activities that can lead to diseases and death.
Suleiman Adamu, who was represented by Alhaji Abdullahi Baba, the Sarakin Bauchi, promised to work in partnership with NAFDAC to ensure that abusers of drugs and chemicals were stopped and brought to book.
Suleiman Adamu commended NAFDAC for the sensitization meeting saying that it was necessary as it will afford people to know what is right and healthy to consume and assured that the traditional institution in the state is ready to support the campaign in order to safeguard the lives of the people warning those involved in such acts to desist.
In her remarks, Bauchi state director of NAFDAC, Mrs Josphine Daylin, disclosed that the agency’s national public enlightenment campaign in the state would be extended to markets, shopping malls and other public places for maximum impact.
She said that the development was to prevent the abuse of drug and chemical substances capable of endangering many lives and hence should be treated with all seriousness.
Mrs Josephine Daylin assured that the Agency in the state is ready to ensure that regulations on food and drug administration are enforced in the state in order to make the people safe.
She then urged members of the public to as a matter of necessity, report to the agency anyone caught using banned substances for the preservation of food and avoid paying drugs from unregistered premises and hawkers.
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