By Azoma Chikwe
All fruit sellers who use carbide to ripen fruits would soon see the red eyes of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as they set to clamp down on perpetrators of food fraud.
Drugs and food are essential for sustaining life and good health. They can pose major health dangers if not properly handled.
Recently, NAFDAC kicked off media sensitisation across the country on the risks associated with fruit ripening using carbide.
According to 2022 WHO statistics, there is an estimated 600 million cases of food-borne illnesses annually, and an estimated 420,000 people around the world die every year after eating contaminated food (preventable deaths).
Also, worrisome is the data that children under five years of age bear 40 percent of the food-borne disease burden, with 125,000 deaths every year.
In view of this, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, Director General of NAFDAC says it is ready to wield the big stick in tackling the menace.
Adeyeye stated this during a media sensitisation workshop on dangers of drug hawking and ripening of fruits with carbide in Lagos, weekend organised by the agency.
Adeyeye, who was represented by Director, Chemical Evaluation and Research, Dr. Leonard Omokpariola, said, “Most of the drugs sold by hawkers are counterfeit, substandard and often expired and do not meet the requirements of regulated medicine.
“Drug hawkers prescribe medicines to their gullible patients. They are also major distributors of narcotics medicines to armed bandits, armed robbers, insurgents and kidnappers. They constitute serious threat to our national security.” She said any drug hawker arrested by NAFDAC would be prosecuted and be made to face a jail term.
“We solicit the support of other law enforcement agencies in ridding the country of this harmful and shameful practice.
“The war is on and we must fight it together,” she said. Adeyeye, further said that the agency would continue to engage the media in tackling ripening of fruits with carbide.
She said consumption of fruits preserved with carbide is hazardous to the health and could cause cancer, kidney, liver failure or weakness of immune system.
Similarly, Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, Director, Public Affairs, NAFDAC, said drugs are sensitive life-saving commodities, which should not be sold on the streets/motor parks or open markets but should be handled with care.
Jimoh enjoined Nigerians to buy drugs only from licensed pharmacists and medicine stores, as NAFDAC is committed to safeguarding the health of the nation. He said: “I wish to warn that any drug hawker arrested by NAFDAC will be prosecuted and will face a jail term.
“NAFDAC enforcement officers are currently carrying out synchronised nation-wide operation. No offender will be spared from facing the full wrath of the law. In this regard, we solicit the co-operation and support of all other law enforcement agencies, Nigerian journalists and well-meaning Nigerians in riding the country of this harmful and shameful practice.”
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