The Nasarawa State Government has issued a stern warning to the management of the abattoir in the Akwanga Local Government Area of the state, threatening to shut it down if the facility’s poor sanitation conditions are not improved within a space of one month.
The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Margaret Elayo, gave the warning on Saturday while briefing journalists shortly after the September sanitation exercise in Akwanga.
The commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Hussaini Babayayi, noted that the abattoir’s unhygienic practices pose a significant threat to the health and well-being of residents.
She explained that the team from the ministry had inspected the facility during the monthly sanitation exercise and discovered the poor state of the abattoir.
Elayo, therefore, emphasised the need for strict adherence to sanitation laws, assuring that the ministry would closely monitor the abattoir’s activities from now to the end of October to ensure cleanliness and compliance with the sanitation guidelines of the state.
She added, “Most of our brothers and sisters staying here in Akwanga are getting their meat from this abattoir, but the place is not hygienic. It could affect our people’s health.
“The government would do something immediately to ensure the safety of our citizens in Akwanga because the place is not proper for slaughtering animals.
“However, if we do not see any changes from the managers of the abattoir, and nothing changes between now and next month, I assure you that the abattoir will be shut down.”
On the September sanitation exercise, the commissioner expressed dissatisfaction with the level of compliance by the residents of Akwanga and appealed for more cooperation to keep the state clean.
She further lamented that many commercial motorcyclists and vehicle owners continued their usual activities during the sanitation hours, warning that stricter measures would be taken against them in subsequent months if they failed to comply.
Responding, the Deputy Chairman of Akwanga LGA, Basau Ibrahim-Shaibu, admitted that the level of compliance was poor in the towns because the local government had shifted its attention to the rural communities.
On the state of the abattoir, the Deputy Chairman said that the state government had already begun the construction of a modern abattoir on the outskirts of Akwanga.
He, however, promised that the local government would take immediate action to ensure that the abattoir is kept clean, adding that strict adherence to the state’s sanitation laws to guard against the spread of diseases would henceforth be observed.
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