Traditional ruler of Uzi-Amizi autonomous community, Olokoro clan in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State, His Royal Highness, Eze Cyril Ogbenna, has raised the alarm over flooding of markets in the state with adulterated honey.
The royal father, who is also a renowned technician, revealed this in his palace in commemoration of year 2024 World Consumer Rights Day, themed: ‘Fair and Responsible AI for Consumers,’ alleged that most marketers and distributors of honey deceptively fill the containers with fermented sugar and other “unwarranted ingredients” to form a honey-like substance and, “most deceptively fill the tops of the purported honey bottles with dead bees.”
He observed that other common ways in which consumers are exploited in the marketplace include: supply of worn and defective goods; sale of counterfeit products; use of false weighing machines and other measuring tools; false . claims on products and services; misleading consumers by making false promises; use of sub-standard quality products that do not meet the minimum quality standards and charge of an exceptionally high and unjustified price from customers.
He said, “My first and general kindergarten recitations are: ‘As sweet as honey and sweet banana sweet.’ Honey and banana have their natural sweetness as created by God.
“Naturally, honey is medicinal. It is only God, the creator and the bees that knows the chemistry behind the formation of honey.”
Eze Ogbenna wondered how God would save humanity, who willingly engages one another in self-poisoning mission.
He added, “I am 82 years old and for decades, I live on daily honey intake and need no laboratory to confirm a pure honey for me. I was also a wild honey harvester during my youthful age.
“I recall I made a publication captioned ‘Abia monarch warns on danger of chemically-induced ripen fruits’ in a national daily newspaper on March 31, 2019, stressing on most unscrupulous and greedy traders using carbide on items like banana to ripe by force. But all these warnings fell on deaf ears. So, my question is, which way Nigeria?”
He called on National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control; Federal Ministry of Health; Standards Organisation of Nigeria; National Codex Committee; Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the Consumer Protection Council to move out and arrest the manufacturers of adulterated honey who have sent hundreds of Nigerians to their early grave.
The monarch also observed that the goal of World Consumer Rights Day is to promote a fair ground for consumers to purchase good quality products at a fair price.
World Consumer Rights Day is an annual event celebrated on March 15th to raise awareness about consumer rights and needs. The day is an opportunity to celebrate the power of consumers and demand that their rights be respected and protected.
On this day, people get together to create awareness about the rights of the consumers that exist which can protect them from discrimination, unfair practices and exploitation. The best way to observe the day is by educating ourselves about the consumer rights that we have and knowing how we can exercise them
The major theme for World Consumer Rights Day is based on the emerging technologies everyone is talking about. The theme for this year’s Consumer Day is based on ‘Fair and Responsible AI for Consumers.’