By Emmanuel Ebimoh
On the fateful day when the incident happened, no one would have imagined that a whole family would be evicted from the face of the earth by something they had no idea about. Maybe if someone had warned them earlier about it, they would have taken precaution. Or perhaps, if there were strict laws that could check the distribution of silent death in cans, we wouldn’t be crying over the loss of an entire family. But what could they have done? How would they have known that the product they were buying to keep them protected for a good night rest would eventually be the last they’ll inhale as humans? It is often said that there’s a thin line between life and death, but to die by one’s own innocence is death beyond tears.
It happened somewhere in the South-West region of Nigeria. The malaria-inducing sting of mosquitoes had threatened their sleep so they decided to get an insecticide to help eradicate the stubborn, flying insects. At last, they were happy they would sleep fine. They sprayed the adulterated chemical in every corner of the house, went out for a few minutes and came in to get some sound sleep. But it was going to be a sleep to last forever. They would not wake up again to feel the warmth of the morning sun because they had innocently used a deadly, adulterated substance in the guise of an insecticide to chase away mosquitoes. Four members of a family died. They slept, inhaled the smell from the insecticide in the room, and died. All of them.
It’s high time the government did something about the spread of harmful substances in the market. In a country where the common man hangs on to life because of the hard state of the economy, where he wants to take care of his family but his hands are shortened because of the ineptitude of bad leadership, the least he deserves is to die by the acts of greedy, barbaric, evil mongers who only care about their pockets without thinking about the lives of others. Just a few weeks back, we were alerted to the shocking revelation of the potential dangers of a substance called Codeine, found mostly in pain relievers and cough syrups.
Codeine on its own can serve as an excellent pain reliever and cough suppressant when administered under medical supervision, however it could be dangerous when taken excessively as it can be addictive and can cause various negative effect on the body, even death. Yet, it was only until recently, after much outcry from various local and international agencies was heard, that the ban of the substance was fully implemented. But should the government wait until the lives of innocent people are endangered before they act on important issues?
An innocent family of four had died again from the wickedness of some persons and the nonchalance of the government. The dreams and future of the two children involved have been halted abruptly, they would have no more chance at life again. This could be avoided. We are calling on government agencies that are involved in checking the spread of these fake, deadly products to please come to the aid of the people and stop defaulters from killing more people. It is high time we had a say on our lives as citizens of a country and not live with fear of what we’re buying to take into our system.
That said, we should also be careful of some chemicals and insecticides we use for eradicating pests in our homes. If we’re going to get an insecticide or any product that could find its way into our body one way or the other, it’s better we get them from trusted supermarkets and shops. We know one can’t be too careful in situations like these, but we still have to make an effort. And to the devilish, dubious people that produce these fake products in other to make quick money for themselves, one day they’ll feel the pain of their own evil action.
Emmanuel Ebimoh is a Writer, Blogger, and Social Media Strategist. You can find him on Facebook and LinkedIn as Emmanuel Ebimoh. Email: emmyebimoh@gmail.com
