National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has warned gas dealers against selling prohibited refrigerant products responsible for Ozone layer depletion to the public.
Deputy Director of Agro Chemicals and Controlled Chemicals Division, Chemical Evaluation and Research Directorate, Dr. Festus Ukadike, gave the warning after the agency raided gas shops at the Ebute-Metta area of Lagos.
He said anyone that must trade in refrigerant gases must be certified by the agency either as an importer or retailer.
Ukadike said prohibited refrigerant gases include R124, 406, R123 and R12.
“These are banned refrigerant gases and nobody should be allowed to bring them into Nigeria. You will not be permitted; you will not be certified to deal in them.
“If you are found with them, you will be arrested and prosecuted. The operation carried out on Wednesday is part of the agency’s efforts to bring everybody involved in chemicals into regulation.
“The operation was targeted at stakeholders, people that deal in chemicals, especially refrigerant gases. We visited their shops to ensure we bring them into regulation.
“We want to know what they are doing or selling, especially those who don’t have Listing Certificate and without a permit to import or sell chemicals,’’ he added.
Ukadike said no one was arrested during the raid, stressing that the traders assisted NAFDAC officials to carry out inspection on shops visited.
He said the traders union agreed to visit NAFDAC, to establish areas they are to operate and chemicals not to deal in.
Ukadike said the agency would continue to educate and enlighten the traders on the risks involved in trading on banned chemicals and gases.
In his reaction, the Chairman of Cooling Parts Association, Ebute-Metta Mainland Area, Mr. Arize Chuke, said members appreciated the visit by NAFDAC officials to ensure that members of the association do the right things.
Chuke stressed that NAFDAC should constantly educate its members on banned chemicals and gases.
“Most of us are traders, we don’t know about this Listing Certificate NAFDAC talked about. We only plead with the agency to always educate us and give us seminars on products we are dealing in.
“We want to know banned products and the ones in vogue. If we know all these, we will do the right thing.
“As traders, we buy from importers. We don’t know the risks involved and we want to know.
“We are going to the NAFDAC office to meet with its officials so that all of us will be on the same page,’’ Chuke said.
