Rakiya A.Muhammad
Sokoto state government has confiscated over 1,200 jerrycans of cooking oil from the Sokoto Central Market and intercepted five trucks loaded with the commodity on their way to the state capital.
Commissioner for Health, Sokoto State, Hajiya Asabe Balarabe, who disclosed this in Sokoto, said the moves followed an intelligence report of health problems developed following the consumption of cooling oil suspected to be adulterated.
She said the State Ministry of Health verified the report, which led to the confiscation and that the intercepted items were under the custody of the security agencies.
“As a responsive administration, the Sokoto State Government took the above actions to safeguard the health and wellbeing of its citizens, as health is one of the 9-points Agenda of this government,” she stated.
“Accordingly, members of the public are hereby advised to desist from buying the adulterated commodities the state, as such food commodities are proven to be causing health problems, including cancers of various types, which do not manifest immediately.”
She added: “They equally cause other slow manifesting diseases like kidney disease as well as immediate diseases like diarrhoea and vomiting, among others.”
Hajiya Balarabe, however, urged people to remain calm as the situation was under control because of the proactive steps taken by the government.
She advised the public to be vigilant and report any suspected adulterated goods to the security agencies or the Ministry of Health, Sokoto, while warning marketers to desist from selling all adulterated commodities or face the full wrath of the law.
The Commissioner called on all relevant agencies responsible for safeguarding the people’s health to be alive to it.
