The Lagos State Government has vowed to prosecute anyone caught selling plastic bottled drinks that were exposed to the sunlight.
The warning came in on Friday from the office of the Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA).
According to the General Manager of LASCOPA, Afolabi Solebo, the government resorted to this after finding revealed that consuming such drinks is injurious to the health and very cancerous.
Solebo disclosed that the government will not stop at confiscating such drinks but will also prosecute the sellers.
He said public enlightenment will start before the end of the year so the ban can commence fully by the start of 2023.
The GM said, “We also want to have a stakeholders’ meeting with manufacturers of those bottled drinks so as to get alternatives for dummy of the products for distributors to display.
“The essence of displaying those products in the sunlight is to attract consumers to come buy. So, if you can put dummies in the sun it has no effect since dummies look like the real thing.”
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He continued that these consumables kill bit-by-bit and should be avoided, while also urging consumers to ensure they get value for the things they purchase.
He advised consumers to cultivate the habit of getting receipts for the products they purchase, stressing that they have the right to complain if they are not getting value and satisfaction for their money.
“So the consumers do have responsibilities much as they have a right to safety, to be informed, right to clarity and quality of products, the right to choose and the right to be heard.
“Also, they have the right to consumer education and especially the right to seek redress in court or in our office and when we cannot resolve the matter amicably, we resort to litigation.
He said the agency has been able to recoverover N25 million from the Ikeja Distribution Company (IKEDC) as credit adjustment granted to consumers since he assumed office.
“As at September 2020, we recovered N28.46 million from the IkEDC through credit adjustment for consumers through the agency and till date another N7.02 million.
“We have also been able to recover from online transactions, POS using ATM. RWe were able to get transactions reversals to the tune of N10.41 million.
”We were able to reclaim over 25,000 dollars from a complainant after mediation and deliberations because he was wrong,” he said