At a time when the prices of basic foodstuffs are increasing on a daily basis and Nigerians find themselves struggling to put food on the table, some unscrupulous traders, because of their greed for filthy lucre, are using sinister food preservation methods that put customers’ health at risk.
By their atrocious actions, the traders, who are also oblivious to the harmful effects of their practices on customers’ well-being, have thrown into the trashcan every ounce of humanity in them by making a mockery of the highly touted “health is wealth” slogan, which reminds people that good health is the foundation on which to build lives, communities and the economy.
Not long ago, a video circulated online that captured the moment a Hausa trader in Lagos State was casually unearthing with his hands tubers of yam he deliberately “preserved” in a gutter adjacent to his yam stand.
The gutters were darkened with dirt, and not just this, it was filled to the brim with solid waste, plastic waste and standing water – the main attraction for the trader who later revealed that he kept his yams there – in the gutter – to preserve them.
The trader did not even feign concern when a small group of people gathered around and videoed him as he pulled out about twelve tubers of yam from the gutter before they posted the disturbing event on the internet.
As the crowd at the scene grew, however, a voice could be heard in the background lambasting the trader. He was also asked why he tossed the yams into public drains that contain household wastewater and other solid wastes.
“I don’t want my yams to be ruined,” the seemingly unperturbed trader began to say in Pidgin English.
“If it gets spoiled, will any one of you pay for them?” he asked.
“I am only using the water to preserve my yams. The dirt and wastewater will not reach the inner parts of the yams,” he added in blissful ignorance of the dangers he was exposing his customers to.
Nigerians who may think that the trader’s disconcerting preservation “technique” is a one-off thing may, however, be surprised to note that the practice whereby traders place food items or edible fruits in drains or gutters, is continuously gaining momentum in many parts of the South West.
Concerned stakeholders have said that the country’s bleak economic reality is to blame. And this, according to them, is because many traders do not have the financial wherewithal or the facilities to preserve food items that are prone to spoilage.
Still in Lagos, another trader was also accosted after passers-by along a popular road in the state noticed that he was bringing out watermelons from the drains.
As with the yam seller, he also said that he was using the water draining through the gutters to preserve his fruits.
“Why did you put your watermelons in the drains?” a concerned woman asked the trader.
He replied, “This is how some of us preserve the food and fruits we sell here. We do not have proper storage facilities and refrigerators to preserve these food items and fruits.”
Apart from using these hazardous methods to preserve the food and fruits that people eat, some street hawkers are equally guilty of using the water flowing in gutters to wash staples such as tiger nuts, dates, apples, pears.
A serious instance of this was noticed in Ikeja, Lagos State, after a young street hawker was seen using an empty 150cl Ragolis water bottle to fetch some water flowing in a gutter and using the same to wash the tiger nuts and apples he was selling.
A customer, who changed his mind about buying some of the apples after he witnessed the hawker using the “water” to wash his wares, was told that sachet water and bottled water were expensive.
“Oga, please buy the apples,” the hawker began to say.
“Pure water and bottled water are very expensive now. Pure water is now N50 while bottled water is N200,” the hawker added, hoping that the customer would have a rethink.
“I can’t afford to use the little interest I make to buy the water I’ll use to wash what I sell. I will be wrecked,” he then concluded as he gave a nonchalant shrug.
Shockingly too, some traders have now started using “Sniper” to preserve crayfish in some markets.
A woman on social media posted an appalling video where she accosted an “aboki” (Hausa word meaning ‘friend’) for using the highly effective insecticide on the crayfish he was selling.
“Aboki, what are you doing? Are you using Sniper on your crayfish? Don’t you know that it is a dangerous substance?” she queried.
“Apart from using these hazardous methods to preserve the food and fruits that people eat, some street hawkers are equally guilty of using the water flowing in gutters to wash staples such as tiger nuts, dates, apples, pears”
“Madam, do you want to buy it or not? Who in this market does not know that we use it (Sniper) to preserve crayfish? This is what sellers use to eliminate insects that invade crayfish,” he replied angrily as he waved off the customer’s concern.
A public affairs analyst, Collins Ugorji, said, “I have not experienced it before. But any trader caught doing the things you just mentioned should be heavily fined or even banished from the market. We can’t afford to have traders like them sitting comfortably in our markets or prowling our streets.
“Unfortunately, some of these traders don’t even know that how they preserve these food and fruits is not the way to go.
“The traders and hawkers sometimes see flowing water inside gutters, and because the water appears to be white, they quickly conclude that it is clean.
“That is illiteracy in action there. Because the water inside a gutter or canal appears to be white does not mean it is clean. There could be harmful chemicals, which usually come from nearby industries that can interact with the water and later make people sick.
“And it is not only Hausa traders that are guilty. Other ethnic groups are also guilty, one way or the other, of endangering public health through their peculiar practices.
“This is why the government must continue to educate these traders and tell them all about the importance of good hygiene and the spread of diseases like cholera.”
One of the market leaders at the Baale market in Egbeda, Sarafa Amusa, said, “Unfortunately, some people don’t have home training. They are not aware that humans are not animals.
“Only animals eat from the gutters. Some animals won’t even want to eat from there. So, why should anyone keep food meant for human consumption in the gutters?
“As a market leader here, we will arrest anyone who does that. It is wickedness.
“And if some of these hawkers are caught by KAI Brigade (now the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps), people will be having pity on them and pleading that they be released.
“Yet, they are the ones killing those who beg for them.
“You also mentioned the economy and I agree that it is not smiling. But anyone who thinks they can poison people because they cannot afford small, clean water is a fool.
“In fact, those who try it should be sent to the psychiatric hospital for evaluation.”
Public health and food safety experts have also called for robust policy measures to address the widespread misuse of pesticides in food processing.
They stressed the critical role of government intervention in enforcing existing regulations and ensuring compliance with bans on the open sale of hazardous chemicals like sniper.
A Consultant Public Health Physician at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Kwara State, Professor Tanimola Akande, warned that people who consume food items contaminated with harmful chemicals may experience symptoms ranging from respiratory distress to neurological disorders.
The Professor of Public Health, while stressing the importance of identifying trusted sources for food products to minimise exposure to contaminated items, called for stricter enforcement measures and increased public awareness campaigns to educate consumers and discourage the use of pesticides in food preservation.
Akande noted that there is a need for enhanced surveillance and monitoring by government agencies, including the Inspectorate Unit of Veterinary Services and Environmental Health Officials.
He urged the government to provide these authorities with the necessary resources and tools to identify and address cases of pesticide contamination effectively.
The don added, “Snipers and other pesticides are hazardous to humans when consumed or when in close contact. It can cause nausea, vomiting, headache, excessive salivation and in high doses, can lead to convulsion, respiratory distress, loss of consciousness and death.
“Long-term exposure can lead to chronic respiratory diseases and neurological diseases such as loss of memory, depression and also anxiety.”
On how to identify contaminated food items, he explained, “The physical appearance of the skin of such fish will be different from the normal one.
“Fish that are not dead but contaminated with snipers are usually sluggish, lethargic and may rapidly come to the water surface gasping for air. It is important to identify trusted sources or sellers for food products.
“Sometimes it can be difficult to easily identify food products contaminated with pesticides.
“The inspectorate unit of veterinary services and environmental health officials need to do their work diligently and be provided with the necessary tools by the government to do this.
“Individuals should also report suspected cases to the appropriate authorities. Government and other relevant organisations should regularly educate the public through various mass media. Traders and suppliers should take the safety of their customers as a priority.”
On his part, a Senior Registrar in the Department of Community Medicine and Primary Care at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Dr Solomon Olorunfemi emphasised the urgent need for measures to curb the indiscriminate use of pesticides.
He pointed out the negative health impacts associated with the use of snipers, ranging from common symptoms like nausea and vomiting to more severe long-term effects like organ damage and the development of cancer.
Olorunfemi stressed the need to take action to control the widespread and uncontrolled application of pesticides.
The physician urged stakeholders at all levels, including farmers, traders, and suppliers, to prioritise food safety and adopt the best practices to minimise the risks associated with pesticide use.
He also called for a collaborative effort involving government agencies, healthcare professionals, and the public to tackle the misuse of pesticides and safeguard public health.
He maintained that taking proactive measures can help to address the issue and ensure the safety and well-being of consumers across the country.
