The Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has restated its resolve to promote and enforce hygienic meat handling in abattoirs across the FCT.
The Acting Secretary of the Secretariat, Mr. Ibe Prospect Chwukuemeka, therefore warned that there would be sanctions for veterinary health officials and butchers if standard hygiene practices were not adhered to in FCT abattoirs.
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He made the declaration during an early morning unscheduled inspection visit to Karu and Kubwa abattoirs to assess the level of compliance to safety standards set by the secretariat.
He expressed concern over frequent complaints of unhealthy practices in the processing of meat, describing that as unacceptable.
The Secretariat, he maintained, will no longer condone activities that constitute hazards to the public, disclosing that it is working towards introducing new measures to enhance effective monitoring of activities in abattoirs.
“Going forward, we will be introducing new measures that will enable us to monitor every activity taking place in the abattoirs; from the point of meat inspection and supervision by our veterinary officials to compliance to hygienic processes by the butchers in the abattoirs; as well as introduce new technologies to strengthen the surveillance to address reports of the use of tyres to roast meat as well as drug peddling,” hw said,
The acting secretary told the butchers to desist from the use of unclean bare floors in the butchering of meat, advising them to make use of thick leather sheets to prevent contamination.
He also said the secretariat is working in collaboration with the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and would engage the services of reputable cleaning services companies for cleaning and evacuation of waste in the various abattoirs.
The construction of incinerators, according to him, will also help in effective waste management.
He, however, appealed for the support and cooperation of the area councils in improving services at slaughter slabs.
