Traders at Ariaria International Market, Aba, Abia State, have established a 24-man ethics and quality control taskforce to prevent the influx of fake, substandard and expired products into the market.
The Chairman, Ariaria International Market, Mr. Michael Aniorji who made this known in his office on Monday, said it was to protect customers and consumers from substandard and deceptive practices.
Aniorji said that the taskforce will incorporate officials of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, and Standard Organization of Nigeria, SON.
He promised that “if any customer returns a product he bought after discovering it is of low quality or not in good order, the seller can no longer say that he cannot replace it because the buyer has paid for it.”;
“Any trader who does that would be made to pay through their nose”;, he said.
The market Chairman said the taskforce will scrutinize all food items and drugs being brought into the market to ensure that the fake and expired products do not find their ways into the market .
“Those selling palm oil and vegetable oil are also part of the team to check deceitful trading practices in those areas.
“Our promise and decision was that any trader found selling fake products or who is into deceitful trading practices will forfeit his or her shop and would be eased out of the market”;, he warned.
Aniorji, who also said that traders in the market have accepted the proposal to remodel the market, expressed the reservation that the traders have only seen one contractor, whom he said is yet to present papers confirming his engagement to them.
He said the contractor is yet to start work because he has not been introduced officially to the traders’ union.
