NAFDAC seals two warehouses in Kano

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed two warehouses at Dawanau grain Market in Kano for allegedly stocking contaminated wheat.

Conducting journalists round the warehouse on Wednesday, NAFDAC State Coordinator Kasim Ibrahim, disclosed that a preliminary investigation revealed about 2,000 bags of wheat suspected to be substandard were uncovered.

Accompanied by operatives of Federal Produce Inspection Services, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and police, the NAFDAC boss explained that the crackdown followed a procurement of 50 containers of grains from the market which were recently rejected.

Ibrahim stressed that the large volumes of grain bought from the market for international market were considered unfit and substandard for the foreign market.

He said samples of the products suspected to be substandard have been collected for test through the laboratory.

“We have come, we have seen and sampled the products. We shall send it to the laboratory and wait for the results and write our report. If the products are fine, they would be allowed in the market, if the result is otherwise we shall go ahead and carry out destruction”. Ibrahim noted.

The President of Dawanau International Market Development Association, Muntaka Isa told the regulators that the association has set up a committee to identify and fish out the culprits for necessary sanctions and prosecution.

Isa said the association has sought the assistance of the relevant government agencies such as federal ministries of Trades and Investment, Police Affairs, Health, and Justice to work with the association’s Quality Control Committee at the market for necessary action.

“Our hearts are pure; whenever we discover any substandard or harmful product in the market, we clear it off from the market. Apart from that, we also trace the sources of substandard products found in order to stop subsequent smuggling of the products into the market.

“We are going to take action, by sanctioning the perpetrators to serve as deterrent to others. And if anyone is given substandard items without his consent, they have the right to file a complaint before the commission and as well trace the source of the products to demand for refund of their money,” Isa said.

The market’s BoT head, Abdullahi Maidoya vo “We shall not fold our arms and watch few selfish and unpatriotic individuals tarnish the good image and reputation of our market built over the years.”

He added that the Association intends to embark on intensive enlightenment and mobilisation campaign of traders in the market on the dangers of engaging in such evil crimes.

Maidoya called on well-meaning marketers and traders of grains and other foodstuffs to expose or report anybody involved in the unwholesome act of bringing substandard food items to the market to harm consumers.