The Marketing Coor
dinator, AMI Farm House, Port Harcourt, Mr. Mike Okonkwo, has called on government quality control agencies to redouble their efforts in the fight against fake and substandard products in the country.
Okonkwo, who spoke to our correspondent in Port Harcourt recently said the call became necessary especially during the Christmas and New Year period as quacks take undue advantage of the season to flood the markets with unwholesome and substandard products.
According to him, the Standards Organization of Nigeria, (SON), National Agency for Food, Drug Administration, and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) amongst others need to be on the alert to checkmate the activities of quacks.
He said experience has shown that it was at such periods that the unsuspecting members of the public fall prey to products that were capable of causing harm to them.
He said the agencies should use the period to evaluate their successes, challenges and lapses in order to enable them improve on their past performances.
The AMI Farm House boss who explained that his organisation produces natural Moringa tea, Moringa Clove tea and Moringa ginger tea amongst others claimed the products were open for evaluation by the necessary government agencies.
He further advocated for the government agencies to visit markets with the messages of the dangers of fake products to enable the public and those involved in the illicit trade to desist from the “unpatriotic practices”.
“Unfortunately, some members of the public cannot tell the difference between a fake and authentic product.
“This is because fake products attract low prices at this period and the public think it is clearance sales”, he said.