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 wholesome and healthy red meat value chain from farm to the table.
Leading the advocacy campaign to some part of the State, Dr. Gbolabo Kehinde said that the need becomes imperative so as to ensure that residents become more enlightened and exposed to dangers posed by eating unwholesome meat as well as seeing the 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. He stressed that 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 in ensuring that standard abattoirs are provided for processing of meat as adequate measures have been put in place to achieve this feat.
“We have been facing this challenges of illegal abattoirs for sometime now and government has been on the move to ensure its eradication and also ensure that 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 says we should go out for advocacy rather than enforcement” he said.
New construction
Dr. Kehinde noted that numerous abattoirs are under construction, like the one in Simpson street at Lagos Island. He stressed 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 has 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 is completed.”
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 for standard meat processing in the State.
Meat shops
Dr. Kehinde mentioned that the environment where the illegal activities are permeated are not hygienic and the State is craving for a healthy atmosphere that will assure healthy meat consumption by the people.
He advised them to apply for meat shops where they can slaughter at approved abattoirs and later dispose at designated market after receiving approval of meat shops from the State.
“At illegal abattoirs, we cannot ensure that there are 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.
“We have been partnering with the Lagos State government and the Ministry of Agriculture and they have been giving us advise on how to market beef better.
“We have been going to Matori abattoir to slaughter our cows and come to sell around business areas, but we are currently working on the process of securing meat shops, because we know we are not supposed to sell in open place.”
Others who spoke at the interactive session urged the State Government to expedite the process of completing the new abattoirs in order to legalize their business and receive approval by the government.
Emmanuel Ukoh
