The Enugu State government has pledged to apprehend butchers who are selling deceased animals and uninspected meat at Afor Awkunanaw Gariki Market in the Enugu South Council Area. Philip Ozoagu, the director of the veterinary department at the Enugu State Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, made this commitment during a visit to the market. He emphasized that it is crucial to prevent diseases from being transmitted from animals to humans through proper inspections. The government has constructed an abattoir for butchers to utilize for inspecting meat, and they are urged to comply with this regulation. Perpetrators who disregard these rules will face arrest. Joy Onah, officer-in-charge of the veterinary department in Enugu South Council Area, cautioned that meats sold on roadsides are unhygienic and pose health risks. Romanus Ezeh, chairman of AFAN Enugu chapter, called for better regulation by distinguishing genuine butchers from meat handlers and highlighted that roadside meat sellers may be selling cows that died during transit from the north. The market chairman acknowledged this challenge and committed to ceasing their collection of fees from unhealthy meat sellers while urging the veterinary department's assistance in addressing this issue within a month.
(BBC-Nigeria)
