Mkpoikana Udoma
01 February 2018, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt — The Rivers State Government has announced the indefinite closure of an abattoir in Eleme Local Government Area, for burning motor tyres to skin meat for human consumption among other unsanitary conditions of the slaughter environment.
The Commissioner for Agriculture in the state, Mr Charles Nworgu, shortly after the official inspection of abattoirs in the state, said apart from the black soot caused by the burning of motor tyres, the chemical from the tyres portend great danger to human health.
Nworgu disclosed that the closure of the Eleme abattoir was as a result of various reports and inspections carried out on the abattoir which revealed that the facility’s operations and practices have fallen short of the accepted standards enshrined in the state abattoir law.
He explained that the ministry’s inspection results revealed the use of polluted stream water to wash meat, burning of plastics and scrap motor tyres to skin animals for meat, and the unsanitary conditions of the environment, which portend danger to the consumers’ health.
The Commissioner further said the ministry would no longer compromise on good sanitary conditions with any meat seller, including the small-scale sellers in the state.
He said the closure of the abattoir takes place with immediate effect from January 2018, in line with the provisions of Chapter 86 of the Rivers State Abattoir (Inspection and Sale) Law.
The ministry called on the general public to report any slaughter slab that skins meat with motor tyres for immediate action, saying that the ministry’s action was to prevent communicable diseases and sudden death that might arise from the usage of burning chemical of motor tyres and plastics in roasting meat for human consumption.