By Francisca Oluyole
Abuja – The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) says all hands are on deck to ensure all abattoirs in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are clean.
Ms Kate Ogbonna, the Head, Environment, Health and Safety Department of AEPB made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.
Ogbonna said that AEPB and the Veterinary Council had series of meetings with the management of abattoirs to ensure FCT abattoirs cleanliness and animals being slaughtered were also in good condition.
She said that AEPB had commenced sensitisation in all the FCT abattoirs to ensure butchers and meat carriers complied with FCT Administration standards.
“We have sensitised abattoirs management, butchers and meat carriers on best ways to handle, slaughter and convey animals with FCTA identified haulage vans instead of using tricycles and personal vehicles.
“We have also sensitised them not to use tyres to roast or remove animal skins but we noticed that some abattoirs are still indulging in such act which makes the animal unhealthy for human consumption,” she said.
Ogbonna said that those days public health workers and veterinary doctors were working together to ensure animals slaughtered in all abattoirs were in good condition.
“But today, we the environmental health officers only go to the abattoirs for inspections and submit reports to FCT Agric Secretariat because they are in charge of animals.
“We want FCTA to put adequate and speedy enforcement in place to enable us perform better and monitor animal being slaughtered everyday and the condition of abattoirs.”
(NAN)