Buka and Mama put Delicacy..

I patronize them not because I can’t afford fast food restaurants, but because I love the taste and flavour of the food sold at Buka joints. Some foods sold in Buka joints are usually not available in some of the fast food outlets. Also when I’m on the move and hungry, I can easily satisfy my hunger with a sumptuous meal from a nearby Buka. Moreover, some fast foods restaurants microwave leftovers and sell them off to customers. Mama-put joints serve hot, fresh meals –

Dele Omojuyigbe (Phd), Lecturer Mama-put joints provide me with hot, fresh and original pounded yam which a restaurant cannot offer. I love the local dishes served at those joints and its freshness and originality. One good thing about Mama-put is that they hardly sell leftovers; their foods are served fresh. Everybody is equal in roadside restaurants——

Ogechukwu I prefer road side food to high end restaurant for a number of reasons. One is that it is usually very cheap and affordable, you can get whatever you want to eat for as low as N100, unlike what obtains at high brow restaurants. I also get to feel the environment as I eat because I prefer natural breeze to the air conditioners in the bigger restaurants because of its health effects. Besides, in roadside restaurants, everybody is equal. There is no segregation based on class no matter what you are in the society, you will be served the way others were served. In big restaurants there is room for preferential treatment. I eat at Buka joint when I’m too tired to cook –

David Oboh, Musician I eat from ‘mama put’ when I’m out or when I’m too tired to cook. Also because their food is affordable compared to most restaurants. I like the aroma and flavor. My favourite is egusi or vegetable soup. It’s affordable, with three hundred naira you can eat good food at a ‘mama-put’ joint. These days, most mama-put owners keep their environment clean. They are less expensive –
Ibikunle Omolayo Johnson, Engineer I eat at those roadside joints because they’re less expensive. Food from fast food restaurants are better but not affordable. I usually visit Buka spots on weekdays because I’m still a bachelor. My favourite is Amala and Gbegiri (Yam flour and beans soup) and ewedu (draw soup) with ogufe (goat meat). But I would advise that roadside vendors upgrade their services by maintaining good hygiene so as to attract more customers I pick the kind of joints to eat –

Ganiyu Rashidat Temitope….Student I patronise Mama put joints when I’m far away from home. I also eat there when I’m at work and when I have to leave early for classes. I don’t like taking food from the house to work, it’s cumbersome. But I do it wisely, I pick the kind of places I go to buy food to avoid food contamination and poisoning. I eat at Mama-put joints because I hardly cook –

Opeyemi Owoeye …Civil servant I patronize them because most times, I don’t cook. So I eat at Buka spots on weekdays. I love Fufu, egusi and ogbono soup. I’m not sure what attracted me to those joints, I only tried it out and liked it. There’s less possibility of eating stale food —

Timothy I strongly prefer road side food sellers to big restaurants because the possibility of someone eating stale food in big restaurants is higher. I have never heard anyone complain of eating spoilt food at mama-put joints, but we have heard a lot of people say that about all these fast food restaurants and eateries. My point is that most of the things they use in preserving the food in big restaurants make it a big threat to health. Mama-put joints do not adhere to basic rules of hygiene –

Titilayo Oyenekan, Teacher An average Nigerian like myself can’t afford patronizing restaurants unless on special occasions. But at the same time, these food vendors do not adhere to basic rules of hygiene in the preparation of their foods and even places where they sell the foods are very unhygienic .There are flies, mosquitoes, and dust in the air which settle on these foods making the foods unhygienic for human health. However, my health comes first thereby leaving me with no choice but to patronise restaurants even when it cuts my pocket. Food vendors don’t take cleanliness into consideration–

Ezekiel I strongly prefer eating in big restaurants because their level of hygiene is usually high unlike roadside food vendors. They make sure they keep the place where the food is being prepared tidy, because they are always inspected by relevant agencies. Anybody can start a mama put food business any time without taking cleanliness into consideration. Many mama-put operators indulge in diabolic practices –

Tolu I’ve heard cases of road side food vendors using charms in their food business to attract and retain customers. I see no reason why anyone will prefer a mama-put to a big and refined restaurant. Most of these mama-put joints cook and serve food with dirty utensils. Mama-put food has become a part of my life –

Peter Egbe I patronize mama put because the pricing is pocket-friendly. I usually eat at mama-put joints when I’m on the move or within the locality of these roadside food sellers. It has become part of my life. In a standard restaurant, one is likely to spend between N500 and N1,500 for a good meal. But N300 is more than enough for a meal at a mama put’s joint. Mama-put spots prepare better foods

– Olumide, Banker I patronise mama-put joints for economic reasons, because they’re affordable and also because some of them prepare better foods than the so-called refined restaurants. I really do not worry about the health implications as long as the food is tasty, enjoyable and affordable. Mama-put is more economical –

Tosin, Fashion Designer Roadside prepared foods are ready to eat and relatively less expensive. I patronise mama-put spots for various reasons such as pressure of waking up very early for work, economic reasons, out of habit and as a means of socialization. Also, when I want to experience ethnic cuisines, I go to mama-put joint. Ready to eat Mama-put food are very enticing –

Damilola Ibidokun, Student I have been on Mama Put for three years now because sighting the ready-to-eat food alone makes me salivate. Besides, it is cheaper compared to restaurant meals. They are a major source of income to operators –

Charles Nwankolo, Trader Mama-put is a major source of income for a large number of persons, particularly women with little capital to start their own business. Why do I have to patronize restaurants when some people survive solely on this? Preventing foodborne Illness It is a fact that the activities of local food handlers and premises are usually often not regulated. This has resulted in poor hygiene practices and low safety levels of foods prepared in local restaurants (bukas) especially in the rural and semi-urban areas in the country. Saturday Vanguard investigations reveal that food in ‘bukas’ are prepared by owners and hired workers. The ‘buka’ owners are more likely than hired staff to wash their hands before preparing the food. Findings show that majority of bukas are often located in areas with no proper toilet facilities or access to potable water supply. The sources of water used for washing hands range from private taps and water storage containers and sachet water among others.
A major source of pathogens such as Salmonella is known to occur through improper hand washing. Since pathogens of faecal, nose or throat and skin origin are most likely transmitted through the hands, food handlers need to be informed about the importance of effective hand hygiene and other barriers to pathogen contamination. Safety recommendations Public health policy and practice recommend that in order to reduce transmission of typhoid fever and other communicable diseases among food handlers, hand washing, universal use of plastic gloves and proper waste disposal system should be mandatory. In addition, there should be access to clean water and sanitary toilets near food service areas. Government is urged to embark on enlightenment campaigns on a regular basis and health hygiene training and retraining sessions should be undertaken for these food handlers to create awareness about the importance of health hygiene and the risks associated with non compliance with the rules and regulations that govern food handlers. When it comes to safe food handling, everything that comes in contact with food must be kept clean all year long. Food that is mishandled can lead to foodborne illness that remains a major public health challenge.  

Credit Vanguard......