Lagos State Government has again activated campaign advocacy against illegal abattoirs scattered across the State.
The move according to the Ministry of Agriculture is to ensure a wholesome and healthy red meat value chain from farm to the table.
Leading an advocacy campaign in some parts of the State, Dr. Gbolabo Kehinde said that the need becomes imperative to ensure that residents become more enlightened and exposed to dangers posed by eating unwholesome meat as well as seeing benefits therein.
Dr. Kehinde who is of the Monitoring, Enforcement and Compliance Unit of the Veterinary Department, Ministry of Agriculture, explained that the State has in the past years clamped down on illegal abattoirs and confiscated meat worth millions of naira, stressing that the government is again reawakening the consciousness of the people to comply to the directive of using State approved abattoirs to process their meat.
He stressed that the State is keen on ensuring that standard abattoirs are provided for the processing of meat as adequate measures have been put in place to achieve this feat.
“We have been facing these challenges of illegal abattoirs for some time now and the government has been on the move to ensure its eradication and to ensure those involved in the business meet and maintain the safety of meat in Lagos State from farm to the fork.”
“In the past years we have gone on several enforcement and this year we are starting with enlightenment as Government said we should go out for advocacy rather than enforcement,” he said.
New construction
Dr. Kehinde noted that numerous abattoirs are under construction, like that of Simpson Street at Lagos Island, stressing that operators of illegal abattoirs around the axis are expected to relocate to the nearest abattoirs while waiting for the one under construction.
On the seamless transportation of the meat across the State, Kehinde added that the State government has provided Refrigerated Vans dedicated for this course.
According to him “Government had provided dedicated vehicles Refrigerated Vans that convey meat from approved abattoirs to approved markets, and the challenge is that the vehicles do not patronize illegal abattoirs.
“And in the interim, Government is calling on illegal operators of abattoirs to move to the closest upgraded abattoirs like Ilaje, Matori and Itire abattoirs, while the construction lasted.”
He said the State is working assiduously to ensure the completion of the ongoing construction of the abattoirs to ease the process and set a template of a standard meat processing in the State.
Meat shops
Dr Kehinde mentioned that the environment those illegal activities permeated are not hygiene and the State is craving for a healthy atmosphere that will assure healthy meat consumption by the people.
He, however, advised them to apply for a meat shop where they can slaughter at the approved abattoirs and later dispose at the designated market after receiving approval from meat shops by the State.
“At illegal abattoirs, we cannot ensure that there is adequate water supply, waste disposal among others and the Information we are getting from the people is they are slaughtering bad cows.
And this cannot be defended but if they choose to do it at the approved quarter where officials of the State would monitor, then we are good to go.” he stressed
Ready to comply
In his reaction, the Secretary of the Freelance Butchers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Omoowo-Olatunji Shehu commended the move by the government to sanitize the red meat value chain by forcing compliance on the operators.
He said the association has been receiving copious support from the Government and is willing to abide by the rules.
“We have been partnering with the Lagos State government and the Ministry of Agriculture and they have been giving us advice on how to market beef better.
We have been going to the Matori abattoir to slaughter our cows and come to sell around business areas, but we are currently working on the process of securing a meat shop because we know we are not supposed to sell in the open place’’.
Others who spoke at the interactive session urged the State Government to expedite the process of completing the new abattoir to legalize their business and receive approval from the government.
Dominica Nwabufo
