How did branded University of Benin (UNIBEN) sachet water described as fake get to the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS)? This is the question many UDUS students are seeking an answer to.
How did branded “UNIBEN Table Water” find its way to the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS)? This is a puzzle members of UDUS community are praying the management to unravel.
According to information on the packaging material, the water is produced and packaged at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in Edo State. But, the UNIBEN management has denied authorising any distributor to sell its water products in Sokoto State.
Rather than being sold in plastic bottles as its name implies, the water is sold in sachets. Apart from the long distance between the two states, UDUS workers and students are wondering if it is profitable for UNIBEN to transport its water products to Sokoto State, where there are many companies producing sachet water.
The UNIBEN-branded sachet water has caused an uproar among students, fueling speculations that the sachet water may have been produced by an unregistered company operating in Sokoto State.
Some shop owners could not explain the source of the sachet water. They said they only took regular delivery of bags of the sachet water from an unnamed distributor.
Since none of the retailers could explain the source of the branded sachet water, students are expressing fear of possible outbreak of water-borne diseases as a result of drinking the sachet water. The Students’ Union Government (SUG) has also raised a health alarm, describing the sachet water as “too risky” for consumption.
Findings revealed that the “UNIBEN Table Water” carries the name and address of the University of Benin and claimed the water is being produced in Edo State. But, students described this as fraudulent, since its distributor has remained unknown.
It was gathered that the “UNIBEN Table Water” sells quickly more than any other sachet water on the campus. Some students said they preferred it to others produced in the state.
Tijani Abdullah, a 200-Level Law student, said: “The distance from Edo to Sokoto is too far and this makes it impossible to have UNIBEN water product here. Except they have their factory here, it is not possible. Since, the UNIBEN management has denied it authorised any distributor to market its water in Sokoto, UDUS management and the SUG must stop the sale of the water on our campus, at least, for safety reasons.”
Suliat Mohammed, a 200-Level English Education student, urged retailers to stop making profit at the expense of students’ wellbeing.
She said: “I know there is something wrong with the water the first time I saw it. SUG should stop the distribution of the water on campus for the safety of students.”
Hayatullah Bello, a 200-Level English Literature student, said the sale of “UNIBEN Table Water” on the campus was suspect because of “the long distance between Benin and Sokoto”.
“Besides, it would be a shame for UDUS management to bring another university’s products to our campus. If the product is water that our school can also produce, then it means our own management is not serious,” Hayatullah said.
Tijani Ibrahim, a 200-Level English Literature student, said: “The reason we suspected the water is because of the distance. It is necessary to stop the fakers before they sacrifice students’ health for their own profits.”
Reacting to the development, UNIBEN has denied selling its water products beyond Edo State, cautioning members of the public to beware of fake companies using the school’s name to perpetrate illegality.
Its spokesperson, Mr M.O. Osasuyi, told TheNation on telephone: “UNIBEN Table Water was established and is being controlled by the school management. Our water company does not have any branch outside Edo State. If there’s an agent interested in selling our water products outside the state, we are sure the person would have discussed with the school authoritie. But, for now I am not aware of anyone.”
UNIBEN’s Dean of Students’ Affairs (DSA) Prof Osadolor also denied that the school has distributors of its water product in Sokoto State, describing the sachet water as “counterfeit”. He wondered if it was profitable for UNIBEN to transport its water products to a distant state that has variety of water companies, stressing that the school did not have any branch elsewhere, apart from Edo State.
He said: “We do not authorise anybody at all to sell our water products in Sokoto State and we do not have a branch elsewhere.”
Further investigation revealed that the sachet is supplied from Lagos. When phone number of the sachet manufacturer was called, Xaris Ltd, written on the sachet, a man who simply identified himself as Akin admitted to have been the manufacturer of the nylon.
He said: “I am not the one supplying the water; it is only the nylon I produce. I supply the nylon from Lagos. That is all I know.”
Asked if he also produced packaging materials for the University of Benin, Akin said: “I used to supply nylon to UNIBEN. But for now, I am not supplying them anymore. I have produced for them before, but I’m not producing for them again.”
One of the retailers of the “UNIBEN Table Water” at the hostel mini-market of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Al-Kasim stores.The salesman at the shop, who sought to remain anonymous, revealed that the ‘pure water’ is produced in Sokoto, while the UNIBEN nylon is produced and supplied by a man from Lagos.”
Speaking further, Akin said: “To the best of my knowledge, the owner of Garka Pure Water ran out of nylon. So, he started to use that of UNIBEN. This is probably what happened.”
Findings revealed that the said Garka Pure Water used to flourish in UDUS before it went into bankruptcy, after which the “UNIBEN Table Water” suddenly surfaced on the campus.
However, all efforts to get the source of the controversial sachet water and its producer yielded no results as everyone contacted declined to speak.
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