February 05, (THEWILL) – Kano State Government has warned that it will prosecute traders found adulterating foodstuff at the Dawanau International Grains Market in the state.
The state Commissioner of Commerce, Investment and Industry, Alhaji Shehu Wada Sagagi, sounded the warning during a working visit to the market on Wednesday.
Sagagi made the statement as he was shown 82 tonnes of adulterated sesame seeds worth N180 million, confiscated by the market’s Task Force.
He also said that the State Government had concluded plans to establish Commodity Exchange at the market, but would not be executed until those found adulterating grains are prosecuted.
He said Dawanau is the biggest grains market in West Africa and the government will not allow people to indulge in foodstuff adulteration to tarnish the image of the market and the state.
“The government is ready to help you boost your marketing activities, but this can’t be done with some disgruntled elements giving us bad names.”
Earlier, the President of Dawanau Market Association, Alhaji Muntaqa Isa, said the market had witnessed tremendous growth since it was established 25 years ago with the intervention of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the state government.
Isa said the state government’s intervention had helped in boosting the market’s position in the global grains business.
He, however, appealed to the state government to support the market with modern machineries that will assist in improving the quality of its goods to international Standards.
In his remarks, the Area Commandant of the Federal Produce Inspection, Mr Anthony Obi, also warned that his agency had no tolerance for adulteration of foodstuff, hence its efforts to ensure quality of all products at the market.
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
