Delta Seizes N460m Worth of Substandard Consumers’ Goods

DELTA State Government Task Force Committee on Substandard Consumers’ Goods has seized N460 million worth of substandard consumers’ goods at various eateries in Asaba and its environs. The task force committee tagged: “Operation sweep away substandard products/goods” monday combed nooks and crannies of Asaba and its environs particularly newly opened eateries where it discovered over 6, 000 substandard consumers’ goods being served.

Unsuspecting members of the public in the recent times, there has been hue and cry of substandard consumers’ goods in Asaba and its environs; a situation it allegedly said to have “destroyed” the lives many of the unsuspecting consumers. But the State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Barr. (Mrs.) May Iyashare who confirmed the committee task force set up by the state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, disclosed that unsuspecting Deltans have been faced with perilous times of consuming substandard food in many of the eateries, adding that the state had been worried over the alleged state of death via substandard goods to unsuspecting members of the public.

She said that the task force committee will operate across the state to “fish out” substandard products, adding: “no hiding place for operators of substandard goods as government had perfected plans to ensure those found wanting in any of the eateries are brought to book”.

Barr. (Mrs.) Iyashere explained that the task force was inaugurated by the state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa to ensure that consumers are not “short changed by evil operators” of substandard goods, adding “consumers take in anything from eateries thereby jeopardizing the health, the state government had found it not so for the hue and cry of deaths, hence taskforce committee to check the operators of eateries as set up”.

Speaking to journalists earlier, secretary in the taskforce committee, Mr. Felix Oseji said the taskforce committee is empowered by law to ensure that rights of consumers are protected, adding that defaulters of the law would be made to face the wrath that will serve as a deterrent to others who had been indulged in the unwholesome act.

He disclosed that some eateries operators (names withheld) who allegedly had been involved in substandard goods were currently being prosecuted according to the law, saying that during the operation sweep away “substandard products” many eateries were discovered to have been operating below standard, particularly in the absence of conducive environment, portable drinking water and alleged expired chicken meat.

Investigation revealed that most eateries allegedly employ “cooks” who prepare meals for unsuspecting consumers’ with health hazards food stuff, sometimes, expired chicken meat, but in a swift reaction, a popular eatery operator who did not want her name in the print, described the state government’s “on onslaught” on them as charadious, and dispelled allegation of expired chicken prepared for consumers’ as untrue.