Opposition politicians behind Bodija butchers’ violence ―Oyo APC

THE All Progressives Congress (APC), Oyo State chapter, has condemned last week’s violence that greeted the relocation of butchers in Ibadan, especially those of Bodija abattoir, noting that politicians in the opposition were behind the butchers’ resistance.

Contained in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Dr Abdulazeez Olatunde, the APC held that the opposition-sponsored a splinter butchers’ group to frustrate the good intention of the state government for asking the butchers to relocate to Amosun village, Akinyele local government area of the state.

Olatunde described the resistance as unnecessary, reechoing the government’s position that the move was necessitated by the unhealthy environment for slaughtering cows and the attendant unhygienic meat that emanated from the Bodija abattoir.

According to Olatunde, the poor hygienic situation of the Bodija abattoir was evident in the fact that the abattoir was closed in 2017, for three days.

The party, consequently, expressed support for the resolve of the state government and security agencies to fish out the masterminds of last week’s violence, especially the torching of the Bodija market police post.

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The statement read, in parts, “We will like to remind the public that the Butchers union and Oyo State Government entered into one year notice of winding-down from Bodija Abattoir in June 2014.

“The Butchers union and the Government agreed to the commencement of operation in Amosun Village in June 2018, after several postponements since 2015.

“However, we are not unaware that some failed politicians have formed a splinter Butchers group to frustrate the ease of movement from Bodija to Amosun Village because of the landmark achievement this project constitute.

“Furthermore, it is also instructive to inform the public that, it’s only slaughtering of cows that was relocated from Bodija Abattoir to Amosun Village, Sales of meat still remain in Bodija kiosks and stalls.

“It is on record that, there was resistance when Butchers Abattoir was relocated to Bodija from Gege Abattoir. So the resistance is not new but the un-necessary violence and arson are what is condemnable.

“We are at Sea on why some failed politicians will always jump into opposition to progressive achievements of the Government of the day, all in a bid to be seeing as talking.

“We would like to advise all opposition elements to go for remedial classes in opposition ideological stand if they are not conversant with their roles instead of calling out people to arson and brigandage with its attendant loss of lives and properties.”