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The potential public health risk associated with ready-to-eat (RTE) fruits sold in open markets was investigated through a microbiological assessment of three popular fruits: Apple, Pineapple, and Watermelon. A total of three samples were purchased from a market in Benin City and analyzed using standard microbiological techniques, including serial dilution, plating on selective media, and biochemical analysis. The mean total bacterial count was highest in Pineapple and lowest in Apple, while the mean total fungi count was highest in Apple and lowest in Watermelon. Bacterial isolates included Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus spp, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter. Fungal isolates included Aspergillus niger, Yeasts, Penicillium species, and Mucor. Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed isolates with resistance to multiple drugs, including Rocephin, Pefloxacin, and Ampliclox (for Gram-positive bacteria), while showing susceptibility to agents like Ciprofloxacin, Gentamicin, Levofloxacin, Ofloxacin, and Amoxicillin. The presence of these pathogenic and opportunistic micro-organisms confirms the contamination of the RTE fruits, which poses a significant public health hazard. This poor microbiological quality is likely due to unhygienic preparation environments, contaminated water, improper handling, and environmental exposure. Regulatory bodies must enhance surveillance, and vendors should strictly adhere to safe food handling practices. Consumers are advised to ensure proper washing of fruits before consumption.

The act of mentoring is an age long practice that dates back to ancient Greek mythology when Odysseus entrusted the care of his son Telemachus to the charge of an old man named Mentor who guided Telemachus to adulthood and saved his life several times (Cartwright, 2012). Inzer and Crawford (2005) state that mentoring is a one to one relationship that exists between the mentor and the protégé with the aim of the expert (mentor) voluntarily giving time to teach, support and encourage a younger, less experienced person (Protégé). Many organizations have
come to recognize the importance of mentoring and coaching programmes and have formalized systems of doing both. The world of work is rapidly changing in Nigeria with the influx of younger persons, women and other minorities into the workforce and the exit of older workers either voluntarily or involuntarily (Agbonifoh & Idubor, 2016). It is therefore expedient that the experience and knowledge of the older workforce be passed on seamlessly to the younger generation through the act of mentoring and knowledge management (Maxwell, 1998). The importance of mentoring and its benefits not only to the organization, the mentor and protégé, have been severally demonstrated especially in Western countries (Kram, 1985; Noe, 1988; Zachary, 2000; Leidenfrost, Strassnig, Schutz, Carbon & Schabmann, 2014). The situation
may be slightly different in Nigerian organizations as noted by Okurame (2008) because the negative connotations of mentors as godfathers. The notion of godfatherism is that an employee is under the protection and influence of a more powerful person with the aim of the junior employee getting benefits he may not ordinarily be entitled to, and for him to avoid punishment 2 for infractions. Mentoring however is to ensure that the protégé acquires the requisite knowledge, experience and guidance to enable him perform exceptionally on the job in particular and in life generally. It is about getting the protégé to learn from the mentor what he may not ordinarily learn or for him to learn it faster and in greater depth.