By Christian George
Kulikuli, a crunchy delectable has reportedly witnessed low patronage as its consumers in Bauchi State lament poor handling by marketers.
The consumption of the food has given rise to health concerns due to its poor handling and unhygienic packaging by those who prepare it.
Karago, as it is commonly called in Bauchi and some other places in the North, is usually sold by women and female children, most of whom occupy unrented spaces in markets and crowded areas to sell to consumers and eke out a living, according to Vanguard.
A survey of some major markets in Baucbi State revealed that the delicacy is mostly produced, packaged and marketed in unhealthy environments.
This has waded off some discerning consumers for fear of their health.
Some sellers make use of the available space by the roadside not minding the hygiene.
Some concerned consumers in the state have opined to stop consuming the crunchy delicacy until when its hygiene has improved.
An electrical engineer, Patience Sunday, who informed that she had been enjoying Karago since her days as a student, said she had in recent times been complaining bitterly to the vendors about their unhealthy environment and poor handling of the foodstuff and advised them on how best to handle it but that her counsel had not been heeded.
“I am one person who likes Karago or Kulikuli as you may like to call it. In fact, my love for Kulikuli didn’t start today; it goes way back to my days as a student. I started patronising vendors near the Yelwa Market but I had to stop buying and consuming it because of the environment and the way they handle it when selling to buyers.
“I had a very unpleasant experience once; one fateful afternoon, I came back early from work and needed to feed my stomach. So, I opted for Garri and Karago since I could prepare them very fast.
“Because I already had Garri, I rushed to the market to get Karago. But I was put off by the woman who was to sell Karago to me because she was using the same hand she had used in eating mango and kept the peel to sell the commodity to me without caring to wash her hands. That was it for me. I rejected it and since then, I have not gone back,” she said.
Another consumer, a medical expert who pleaded anonymity said that efforts to file a complaint with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, have not also produced effective results.
“It troubles me too each time I pass by those sellers. I don’t know if they know that they are not helping their fellow compatriots.”
“I have tried filing a report with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission but each time their server would not connect. You know, exposed foods like this can be contaminated and when eaten could result to various sicknesses,” he added.
However, Mallam Bapah of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, Bauchi State office, simply said: “If people send us complaints about it, we will take action against them.”
