The Ministry of Health has commenced the closure of illegal drinks factory to protect the lives of people in Cross River State, south-south Nigeria.
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The Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Betta Edu, who led a team of inspectors to shutdown an illegal mini factory in Calabar, the capital city, said that the governor, Professor Ben Ayade inaugurated a task force on food safety to protect the people.
Edu said the task force paid a surprised visit to the mini factory following a tip-off from concerned citizens in the area, which resulted to the seizure and closure of the place.
Very Unhygienic
According to her, the team found that the factory was used to produce a local drink known as Zobo in very large quantities in unhygienic conditions and sold to unsuspecting members of the public.
“Cross River State government created a task force to fight against quackery and illegal production of drinks that are being consumed by the people. The exercise took us to one of such places like this mini factory. It was very unhygienic. Sanitation zero, procedures very wrong and the Zobo leaves were kept on the filthy ground and all the containers dirty.
“Some of the bottles used for the Zobo drinks were picked up from the gutters and dust bins without proper washing and sterilization. Nothing was done the right way. We had to quickly seal up the place, putting an end to such illicit act that would put our population at risk,” Edu said.
The Health Commissioner commended the whistleblower for the boldness to report such illegal activity to the ministry, noting that the governments at the state and federal levels were working hard to improve the health of Nigeria.
Edu, who is the Chairman of Health Commissioners in the country, said “the Nigerian Government and indeed Cross River State are working very hard to prevent disease outbreaks such as Cholera, Typhoid, Dysentery and several others. We cannot condone illicit acts like this.”
She hinted that the suspects and others who work there have been handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution.
Avoiding outbreaks
The Commissioner appealed to people to take their health serious and imbibe good hygiene so as to be protected against deadly infectious diseases, noting that so far the ministry has made efforts to forestall the outbreaks of dangerous viruses in Cross River.
She stated, “I want to assure our people that we would not allow quackery; we would not allow such illegal unhygienic productions to continue in Cross River State. This also applies to medical practice. We insist that our people must have access to top quality services to achieve the right results.”
“Again, I want to urge our citizens to speak out when they see anyone or group of persons doing things that would jeopardize the health of people. When you find somebody you know is not qualified illegal practicing or offering medical services, and people producing foods or drinks in very unhygienic conditions for public consumption, please report immediately to the office of the Cross River State Commissioner for Health and we will take action,” she assured.
A few months ago, the task force shutdown a fake medical facility in one rural community, while the operators were handed over to the police for prosecution.
