Sédhiou, Oct 11 (APS) – Around four tonnes of expired products with an estimated value of around twenty million CFA francs are “in a prolonged waiting situation” at the departmental hygiene sub-brigade of Sédhiou (south) , lack of incineration authorization.
”The Sédhiou departmental hygiene sub-brigade is facing a major challenge, with around four tonnes of expired products stored, in a prolonged waiting situation; within its enclosure. These products, worth an estimated twenty million CFA francs, have been seized over the years but have still not been incinerated,” he told APS in an interview.
“The Sédhiou hygiene brigade is currently in a situation of prolonged waiting, requiring authorization from the competent authorities, to proceed with the destruction and incineration of expired products seized,” he lamented.
He reported that the outgoing governor of the region requested a detailed report on the state of the products, which was carried out and submitted to the authority.
“But despite this diligence, the brigade has not yet received the necessary green light to begin the process of destroying the expired products seized by the agents,” he added.
He stressed the urgency of the situation and called for “rapid action by the authorities to eliminate these potential dangers”.
Captain Saibo Alémao Djiba stressed that expired products still exist in places of commerce and threaten public health.
He expressed his serious concerns regarding these expired products which continue to “circulate in local businesses”, thus posing a serious public health risk.
Furthermore, he denounced the lack of cooperation from the population in the fight against the circulation of expired products.
“The population does not cooperate in any way with the hygiene police, on the contrary, it is they who inform the shopkeepers of our raids on the ground,” he maintained, launching, however, a call for vigilance and cooperation of the population.
Mr. Djiba indicated that the lack of personnel and logistics of the Sédhiou hygiene brigade complicates operations on the ground.
“Personnel and logistics are lacking in the brigade, leading to difficulties in mobility of elements to carry out hygiene policing,” argued the brigade department head of the hygiene service.
OB/ASB/SKS/AB/OID
