Ogun warns against consumption of poisonous  ‘ponmo’ as product circulates markets

‎The Ogun State government has warned residents against the consumption of imported ‘ponmo, which it said, had been treated with poisonous chemicals.

This follows the discovery of influx of poisonous cattle hides and skins, otherwise known as ‘ponmo’ in some commodity markets across the state.

‎The state government said some unscrupulous businessmen were taking advantage of the gap in demand and supply of cattle hides and skin used in preparing local dishes, adding that such businessmen had hijacked some markets and had started selling industrial ‘ponmo’ treated with the tanning chemicals to the unsuspecting public in the state.

Speaking on the influx of the poisonous ponmo at a stakeholder’s meeting with sellers in Abeokuta yesterday, Ronke Sokefun, commissioner for agriculture, raised the alarm, explaining that such “ponmo is imported ponmo and is often brownish-black, foul-smelling, abnormally thick with layered sections and ridiculously cheap in price compared to the certified ponmo.”

According to her, the cattle hides and skin are raw hides that are meant for leather production from foreign African and European countries like Sudan, Italy and Japan.