The Senate has taken a decisive step toward criminalizing the harmful practice of ripening fruits with chemicals by sellers, describing it as a public health threat.
The upper legislative chamber also summoned the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to appear before its relevant committee and explain what it is doing to curb the dangerous trend.
These resolutions were reached on Wednesday after a debate on a motion sponsored by Senator representing Ebonyi South, Anthony Ani.
In his lead debate, Senator Ani warned that the use of substances like calcium carbide to ripen fruits poses severe health risks to Nigerians.
He explained that the chemical contains toxic impurities such as arsenic, lead, and phosphorus, which can cause cancer, heart failure, kidney and liver damage, neurological disorders, intestinal problems, and mouth ulcers.
After the debate, the Senate urged NAFDAC, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to immediately investigate and halt the practice.
The lawmakers also called on the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to intensify public sensitization on the dangers of chemically ripened fruits.
Senators agreed that unless severe punishment is meted out to offenders, the deadly practice will continue unchecked.
