Imo Assembly considers Bill to establish Food Safety Service Bureau
By Ugonne Uzoma
Safety
Owerri, May 23, 2018 (NAN) The Imo House of Assembly on Wednesday passed for second reading a Bill for a Law to provide for the establishment of the State Food Safety Service Bureau.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the proposed law would be charged with preventing and fighting food and water borne diseases as well other related matters.
The Chief sponsor of the Bill, Mr Uche Oguwuike (APC-Ikeduru), said the Bill “would ensure that the Bureau would help in curbing the preparation and sale of food in unsanitary environments and curb the spread of diseases’’, when passed.
He decried lack of regulations for food vendors in the state and the threats to which Imo residents were being exposed daily as a result of unhealthy foods.
Oguwuike stressed the need for urgent action to effectively fight the spread of food and water borne diseases.
Supporting the Bill, Mr Kennedy Ibeh (APC-Obowo), also pointed out the need to thoroughly screen food vendors for contagious diseases.
He suggested that those who pass the screening should be certified before they could commence their business.
Ibeh however called for more work to be done at the committee stage to ensure the bureau, if established, would have a holistic framework to guide their operations.
The Deputy Speaker of the House, Mr Ugonna Ozurigbo (APC-Nwangele), who presided, ruled in favour of the Bill after votes and committed it to an ad hoc committee to be chaired by Kennedy Ibeh for further action.
The deputy speaker directed the committee to report back its inputs on June 13. (NAN)
UOI/GOM/MST
Edited by Gregory Mmaduakolam/Muhammad Suleiman Tola
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