Community worries over Lokoja abattoir

The dirty environment and offensive odour from the abattoir located in Mahouji community in Felele area of Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, has become a thing of concern to the residents as well as others conducting business at the facility.
The abattoir, is the major slaughter house that serves the people of Lokoja and its environs.It has remained in a decrepit condition over the years and lacked the necessary facilities and drainages that would ensure a healthy environment
The leader of the community, Malam Yakubu Sadiq, lamented that the inhabitants of the community stopped enjoying a clean, clear environment since 2012 when the butchers were relocated from the Lokoja International Market to the area.
“There is a major pollution in this community as a result of the daily burning of tyres by butchers in this abattoir. At times, we cannot stay in our homes due to the offensive odour which has resulted in some of us having asthma, chest pain and other ailments,” he said.
Sadiq said despite the complaints to the Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies, nothing has been done.
“The modern abattoir project started by the immediate past administration was abandoned  midway. Completing the new facility is the only way this problem can be solved. If the present administration can help to complete the project, it will go a long way in addressing the issue,” he added.
The mega terminal that shares boundary with the slaughter slab can also not operate comfortably due to the smoke and odour, he said.
Also speaking, Secretary of the Butchers Development Association in the state, Malam Idi Ibrahim, said the non-completion of the project has been impacting negatively on their animal slaughter and meat selling business.
He said the project, which was awarded to the contractor at the cost of N70 million with about 75 percent of the contract fee already paid, had been abandoned by the contractor for several months without any explanation.
 “What we are agitating for is that the government should prevail on the contractor to come back and complete the project and put in the necessary facilities for us to do our business. We are not happy with the condition of our abattoir,” he said.
He also lamented on the dirty and unhealthy nature of the abattoir, especially now that it is raining because of lack of necessary facilities for their operations.  “One of the reasons for the smell people complain about is because we do not have a cattle ranch in this place. Our cows are dumped in the mud during the rainy season which leaves them with ill health.
 “If our cattle ranch can be done properly and drainages made for free flow of water, the residents around us will no longer complain about smell and waste from the abattoir getting into their houses during the rainy season,” he said.
Ibrahim said the butchers tasked themselves to construct the temporary slaughter slab which they are currently using, adding that government did not seem concerned about the wellbeing of butchers in the state.
The butchers’ association secretary said they have been working hard to ensure the maintenance of the slaughter slabs, adding that they spent up to N300,000 to evacuate heaps of cow dung usually generated in the place.
He lamented that butchers were finding it extremely difficult to raise the amount to enable them continue to maintain the slaughter slab in the face of the current economic downturn in the country.
On complaints by the community over the activities of the butchers, Idi said the non-availability of necessary facilities for their operations had often led to the pollution that emanated from the slaughter slab.
“When we came here, government did not provide the needed facilities for us. We had expressed concern that without necessary facilities in place to keep the environment healthy and clean, those living around the abattoir would not find it easy and that was why we resisted the idea of them (the inhabitants) from coming to live close to the place.
He said butchers had been cooperating in paying their revenue to the government regularly but that their efforts were not being reciprocated by the authorities.
“They only give the butchers place to sell meat in the market but where to slaughter and prepare the meat is not provided. That is the problem. It is the duty of the local government council to bring labourers here to keep the abattoir clean but they failed to do that. The water we are using is not enough for us, but we are managing,” he also said.
 On the use of tyres in preparing slaughtered animals and skin, Idi said he understood there were health implications and effect on the ozone layer, adding they (butchers) were forced to use tyres as the facilities needed for de-skinning animals were not provided.
“I believe that when the modern abattoir project is completed with all drainages and slaughter slabs put in place, the complaints by the people would stop because by then, we wouldn’t be having the kind of odour they are complaining about now,” he said.
Idi said the government needed to give attention to the development of the abattoir as that would provide more jobs for the youths and increase its revenue generation.
“Over 2,000 workers including graduates are getting their livelihood from the meat business here and as such, government should give it greater attention. Government will generate more revenue if the abattoir is completed with access road,” he said.
However, the Commissioner for Environment in the state, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, during an inspection to the slaughter slab recently, expressed worry over the general condition of the environment.
“I am dumbfounded whenever I think about the situation here at the slaughter slab. My thinking is how safe this meat is for people of Lokoja and environs. This situation shows that a lot needs to be done,” she said.
 “This environment is not even safe for the people working here; it is not safe for the community who are living near the slaughter slab and a lot of things are worrisome.
 “Even the tyres they use in burning the skin of the animals is enough danger to the health of consumers of these meat. There is no water here for them to wash the meat,” she observed.
All these, she said were surmountable because the governor has shown interest in sustainable environment, the health of the people and in ensuring that everything should be the way it should be.
 She, however stressed the need for the modern abattoir project to be completed, saying they would collaborate with relevant stakeholders who are interested in sustainable environment to address the situation.
Osikoya said the Lokoja Local Government Area would be fully involved to ensure the environmental issues noticed at the abattoir were addressed in the interest of the health and wellbeing of people.