DEATH IN THE POT

 

I was thinking this morning...... Returning from Church one Sunday morning, I was desirous of having fruit salad. On getting to the fruit shed at the junction of my street, I noticed something bizarre. I observed the 'aboki' trader pour some sachet detergent into a bowl of water, stirred it to foam and then started dipping the pawpaw and pineapple in and washing them like a piece of dirty shoe. In my shocked state, my head spurn as my thoughts screamed.

Then I recalled the incident of 26th August in Umueze, Umuahia North LGA of Abia State, where seven members of the same family died after eating the popular barbecue known as suya, with an undisclosed brand of juice drink. Ahh! What's going on?

As I pondered days ago, I watched a video of how a stockfish (okporoko jabajaba) seller was seen using the popular Sniper insecticide to preserve stockfish at Oyingbo market in Lagos. As the lady that caught him on video lamented and asked the aboki why, he responded 'No any fish wey dey for Nigeria wey dem no put this medicine.' Really?

Sniper insecticide belongs to the DDVP chemical family (dichlorvos) and is adjudged by many as being potent in killing cockroaches and other insects. It has also become the handiest chemical used by suicide victims in Nigeria to terminate their lives. Yet, the aboki says 'No any fish wey dey for Nigeria wey dem no put this medicine.' Chai!! Oh God, there is death in the pot.

I have watched videos of fruit sellers washing the fruits in open sewer drains (gutter). Another video showed a petty trader sprinkling a detergent solution to hydrate his tigernuts before tying them in small packs for sale and consumption. An unsuspecting buyer will buy these contaminated fruits and nuts, not realising that 'there is death in the pot.' God abeg o!

We've focused on death from guns (bandits and BH) and death in the air (Covid), but we've been silent on 'death in the pot' that is causing all manner of diseases including cancer in Nigeria.

Who will deliver Nigerians from this death in the pot? Now I am scared of mama-put and party food. Should we stop eating food that we know not the source of the ingredients? Should I start subsistence farming to harvest the food I will eat or should I just port from Nigeria? Whatever the answer, I join my voice to that of the sons of the prophet in 2nd Kings 4:40 'And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot.'

Please join hands to kill the ignorance and not Nigerians.

#safefoodfornigerians

Stay hopeful. God's got your back.

Happy Sunday.

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey