Lagos State Government has said that it will continue to apprehend and prosecute for criminal acts importers of toxic and unwholesome products into the country in general and the State in particular.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Olayiwole Onasanya who gave the assurance at the Medical Dumpsite, Ewu Elepe, Ikorodu, during the disposal of a truck load of toxic “ponmo” which was seized few days ago at Ijegun, a suburb in the Alimosho Local Government area of the State by the Igando/Ikotun Police and handed over the state government.
Dr. Onasanya who was represented by the Deputy Director, Veterinary Services, Dr. Adeyemi Michael Olufemi supervised the disposal and recalled that the seized hide had been cured with formaline and slate lime which are carcinogenic in nature thus can cause cancer therefore unfit for human consumption.
He said the hide was supposed to be used as leather material but was imported by unscrupulous people as “ponmo” for human consumption.
Dr. Onasanya enjoined members of the public to report any suspicion of unwholesome product to the government for appropriate action adding that intelligence reports indicates that there are more of such mostly at the Ikotun and Igando areas of the State stressing that it was a matter of time before the perpetrators of such acts were apprehended.
The Permanent Secretary lauded the support of other agencies such as the Primary Health Care Board, Lagos State Waste Management Authority and other agencies of government in the disposal of the poisonous “ponmo”.
It would be recalled that the “Ebola Ponmo” was confiscated by the Lagos State Government on Monday, July 8, 2019 and transported to the State Ministry of Agriculture’s outstation at Johnson Agiri Office Complex before it was moved to Ewu Elepe for disposal.