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… Inaugurate Bayelsa Chapter
By Amos Odeh, Yenagoa
Food Vendors in Nigeria and Bayelsa State in particular are seeking the collaboration of governments at all levels in combating the menace of food poisoning, as well as making sure that the foods consumed by citizens are safe for healthy living.
National President of Association of Food Vendors in Nigeria (AFVIN) Chris Worji, made the plea at the inauguration of Bayelsa State chapter’s new executive.
He said that the essence of food safety is for improved longevity, adding that it affects socio-economic development and the health care system through food borne diseases.
Worji said unhealthy food practices is responsible for numerous deaths per annum with a high number of children affected as a result of unsafe and harmful practices by food vendors which attendant effects have resulted to high mortality and morbidity rate across Nigeria.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the state coordinator of AFVIN, Mr. Seiyefa Adams Adamu, stressed the need for citizens to stay away from contaminated foods that are imbued with chemicals and also avoid unhealthy food practices.
“As an NGO, we are poised to provide integrated people-oriented food safety services of the best standards to Nigerians and the world, using dedicated and compassionate officers to prevent poisonous food resulting from chemicals in red oil, carbide in ripening of fruits, using detergents in washing edible fruits, use of tyres in roasting meat, among others.”
Adamu also reiterated the five keys to food safety, adding that the association will in no distant time move into markets across the states to sensitize traders, market men and women as well as members of the public.
He also stated that AFVIN will soon embark on aggressive and rigorous registration of all food vendors for proper training on global best practices in food safety and hygiene.
Adamu further said “the bottom line for the existence of the association in Nigeria is to preserve our health with respect to food and drinks. Health is wealth as the aphorism says, and the need to maintain our health which is wealth cannot be over emphasized.”
A professional sanitarian, Dr Ajueyitsi Oghenekaro, called for the enforcement of food safety laws and policies to stem the wave and prevalence of epidemics like diarrhea, cholera, Lassa fever that have caused health hazards and loss of lives. He also lamented the neglect and the failure of sanitary inspectors and dereliction of their monitoring and enforcement duties.
In his remarks, the state public relations officer of AFVIN, Comrade Silas Ikimi, said they are prepared to key into their mandate by enforcing compliance, no matter whose ox is gored.
Highpoints of the event were the inauguration of the state executive and unveiling of the state secretariat and signpost.
Port Harcourt Mundial reports that despite the importance of the body, none of the state government agencies invited by the organizers were in attendance. Officials of the organization however assured that AFVIN “has come to stay in Bayelsa State.”
