Chinyere Amalu
20 November 2008
Abuja — REACTING to recent report of death of a student after consumption of beans in Bauchi State, the National Agency for Food Drug and Administration Control (NAFDAC) has ordered for the closure of Bauchi State Central distribution market of beans.
The Director-General of the Agency, Professor Dora Akunyili made this announcement when top management team of Nigerian Institute of Animal Science paid her a visit in her office yesterday in Abuja to solicit for establishment of an agricultural Directorate at NAFDAC complex.
According to Akunyili, Nigerians applied chemical used to preserve beans wrongly, there by endangering the lives of the citizens, adding that though the chemical is legally accepted all over the world, it has been banned in Nigeria.
She said: "We got a report yesterday that a student died after eating beans as a result of chemical used in preserving it. We have taken decisive decision to ensure that this does not happen again, by closing down the central distribution centre of beans in Bauchi State.
"Wrong application of these chemicals has caused preventable deaths. These chemicals are mixed with beans so as to prevent it from pests; but Nigerian farmers applied this chemical as often as possible until the beans are sold out.
"So in other to ensure that beans from this particular centre are not sold out again we ordered that it should be closed for now.
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