By Zayamu Hassan
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has expressed concern over the usage of petrol and kerosene tankers by drivers to convey groundnut and vegetable oil.
The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who raised the alarm at a sensitization campaign in Nnewi, weekend, advised Nigerians to be vigilant and report such ‘evil acts’ to the nearest NAFDAC office or the law enforcement agencies.
Represented by the Director Public Affairs of the agency, Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, the Director General called on Nigerians to take their destinies into their hands and that anyone suspected to have used petrol or kerosene tankers to convey groundnut oil should not be left without being punished in accordance with the law.
While insisting that the practice is evil and dangerous to public health, Prof. Adeyeye said: “We are appealing to kerosene and petrol tankers to stop using their tankers to carry vegetable and groundnut oil.
“This is another dangerous trend that we are witnessing. We are therefore, calling on Nigerians to be vigilant. Any motorist seen or suspected to be doing that should be reported to NAFDAC.
“We rely on intelligence information as NAFDAC cannot be everywhere because this is a very dangerous practice.”
She lamented that: “You don’t need rocket science for you to know that mixing petrol or kerosene together with the food that will go to people’s stomach is dangerous and can kill or cause life-threatening sickness.
“It is an evil practice. Most times when these petrol or kerosene tanker drivers don’t have business, they switch to conveying groundnut oil in tankers. Such contamination can cause serious damage to the health of members of the public. Anybody can be a victim of this evil practice.
“This is because there is no way anyone can think of conducting laboratory analysis on vegetable or groundnut oil you take for granted.”
She, therefore, appealed to owners of petrol or kerosene tankers to keep an eye on their drivers.
“We are also calling on the members of the public to be vigilant and take their destiny into their own hands.
“NAFDAC is concerned about this dangerous practice that has come to our knowledge and we deem it necessary to alert members of the public so that they can assist us in the campaign to dissuade people from doing that.
“It is evil to try to make money at the detriment of the health of members of the general public. Even the owners of the petrol tankers or their family members can be victims.
“We are warning them to desist from that an act of wickedness to make money at the altar of public health,” Prof. Adeyeye said.
