The sordid picture crystalising in abattoirs nationwide is distressing. As concerned authorities fail to play their roles in the face of mounting danger, fears are rife that continuous poor handling of meat could spike food-borne illnesses, promote the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, as well as pose a significant public health risk, BERTRAM NWANNEKANMA, LAWRENCE NJOKU, SEYE OLUMIDE, ENIOLA DANIEL, BROWN AJULUCHUKWU, OBINNA NWAOKU, SAXONE AKHAINE and MOYOSORE SALAMI report.
As far as the vendor was concerned, his focus was delivering the meat to end users, especially restaurant owners, who could not afford to wait until midday to prepare their dishes. Hundreds of kilometres away in Lagos State, the situation is not different as far as unhygienic transportation of meat is concerned.
Stepping into an abattoir in Kubwa, an obnoxious stench, and a swarm of flies fill the area. Animals taken from the stable, like in all other abattoirs in the FCT, are immediately herded to the slaughter slabs known as Katwa. Through these wheelbarrows, the chunks of meat are distributed to stalls within the abattoirs. In cases where they are to be taken outside the abattoirs, the bulk of them are also transported on motorcycles and boots of public vehicles.
Most of the butchers who spoke to The Guardian lamented the lack of cold rooms in all the abattoirs in the FCT, adding that they have resorted to buying ice-block to help preserve their wares and curtail the huge waste, which they routinely encounter. He said: “There are veterinary doctors here in Kubwa Abattoir, but they are not functional. For instance, cattle are killed and butchered as early as 5.00 a.m., sometimes 6.00 a.m., and none of these veterinary doctors resume work by that time. The Kubwa Abattoir has a functional tap, but the slaughter slabs are not always spick and span.”
In Lagos State, the unhygienic handling of meat has continued unabated despite strident public outcry and government intervention in the past.A visit to abattoirs in the state confirmed poor adherence to sanitation measures at the abattoir. At Oko-Oba Abattoir, Agege, little is done to ensure proper hygiene in meat processing. Although the pungent odor that used to greet visitors and trigger breathing discomforts has reduced at the facility, the situation remains very disturbing.
One of the meat sellers, who simply identified himself as Ganiyu said: “Things have improved in this market. If you were here years ago, you would have had another story to tell. It’s cleaner now and better. Lagos State trucks carry cows from here to Oshodi to butcher, and their vehicles are cleaner.”
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