LAGOS State Government has stated that the time has come to put an end to unsanitary practices in the operation and management of slaughter houses and Abattoirs in order to minimize the harmful effects.
This call was made by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tunji Bello during a one day workshop for abattoir operators in Lagos State, themed “Environmental and Health Implications of unsanitary abattoir operation” held at the Johnson Agiri Hall, Lagos State Agric Complex, Oko Oba, Agege.
Tunji Bello who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Mr Belinda Odeneye maintained that Slaughter houses/Abattoirs must be approved by the regulatory authorities for hygienic slaughtering of animals, processing and distribution of meat products for human consumptions.
“Due to rapid increase in the demand of meat, slaughter houses are springing up in the nooks and crannies of the state to meet the needs of the people thereby raising a lot of operational problems and issues happening from their haphazard way in which they carry out their businesses and making it detrimental to the environment and to human health” he said.
He said the workshop became necessary in order to improve the hygiene status of abattoirs across the state and to prevent continuous pollution of the environment from both solid and liquid waste as a result of their operations.
Earlier in her goodwill message, General Manager, LASEPA, Dr Dolapo Fasawe, who spoke through Mr Oyedele Osifeso reminded abattoir operators to desist from burning cow hide and skin with disused tyres, saying it is carcinogenic.
The representative of Director, Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Michael Adeyemi listed some of the criteria required for Abattoir operations which include capital, land, access road, tax clearance, refrigerated van, amongst others.
He added that after meeting these requirements, the operator get a provisional approval for monitoring before getting a Certificate of Operation which is to be reviewed every year.
Also, during his lecture, Dr Femi Aluko, a lecturer in the Community Health Department, Obafemi Awolowo University, said compulsory compliance and proper hygiene of the facility must be adhered to as over 8,000 cows are slaughtered in the state daily.
He explained that as a result of quantity of cows slaughtered in the state, solid waste and water waste from abattoir operations need to be managed continuously as these waste mix with underground water and has negative effects on the residents around the Abattoir.
Another facilitator, an Assistant Director from Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), DrEssienNsuabia urged all abattoir operators in the State to ensure they undertake their environmental sanitation exercise always while LAWMA will be ready to cart away these waste generated during their operations daily.
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