The Traditional ruler of Uzi-Amizi Autonomous Community, Olokoro, Umuahia Local Government Area of Abia State, Eze Cyril Ogbenna has expressed his distaste over the use of chemicals to ripen fruits, saying that the consumption of such fruits are harmful to the consumers’ health.

Eze Ogbenna noted that this terrible act is carried out to appease the needs of consumers, hunger, misplaced priorities and get-rich-quick syndrome and these acts have largely resulted in diseases and sicknesses.

He protested that the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) and the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) are untroubled towards the immoral acts of traders who use calcium carbide on fruits.

According to Ogbenna, “As a matter of urgency, the Health Department should see to the case of banana, because banana has its God-given natural taste but it has been adulterated. Personally, I have stopped eating banana. The health officers are doing nothing and everybody is eager to take banana because there is hunger in the land.”

He urged the community health officers, to be alert and investigate traders that use chemicals to ripen fruits and seize such goods.

Ogbenna added that the traders should be educated on the outcome of applying chemicals on fruits. He said, “They should equally sensitize the people on the dangers of using carbide on edible items like banana.”