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By Akanji Olowolodu, Bauchi
In an efforts to safeguard public health and ensure that the general public consumed clean and hygienic meat during the upcoming Eid-El Fitri Sallah Celebration in the state, the Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA) has banned the indiscriminate slaughtering of Animals in unauthorized places across the state.
The disclosure was made by the Director General of the Agency, Dr Ibrahim Kabir, following a complain filed to the Agency by the leadership of the Nigerian Butchers Association, an umbrella body of meat sellers in the state.
Leadership of the union lamented the indiscriminate and unhealthy slaughtering of Animals in unauthorized places by the people, or group of people, Associations and Unions especially by the roadside, during festive periods.
The butchers leadership called on the Agency to as a matter of public health interests and avoidance of possible outbreak of food poisoning related diseases, to make sure that animals are slaughtered only at the authorised slaughtering houses (Abbatoir) across the state.
The Union also stated that the ban will help in maintaining the cleanliness and beauty of the State capital and other urban towns in addition to curbing the menance of Animals rustling, perpetrated by criminal elements, who mostly hide behind such activities during festive seasons.
The Director General who was represented by the Head of Inspection of premises Unit of the Agency, Sanitarian Haruna Suleiman said that the Agency will not allow this ugly trend to continue as it against the global best practice and relevant public health laws in the country.
The Director General said, this is part of the Agency’s routine duty and assured the leadership that the Agency will as a matter of urgency ensure that, animals are slaughtered only at the authorised Abbatoir, promised to form a joint patrol with the meat sellers to put an end to this ugly situation.
He further said that Bauchi state public health laws and BASEPA law 2017 mandated the Agency to as a matter of safeguarding the Public Health and to ensure that the general public consume wholesome and hygienic meat, empower the Agency to arrest and prosecutes persons or group of persons engaged in such act.
With this development, the general public, especially Associations and Unions, who wish to slaughter animals for their members to, for the interest of public health, desist from this unlawful act and do so only at the authorised places (abattoir).
He said that any person or group of persons found violating this directive, will be considered as a saboteur to the present administration’s efforts of protecting and safeguarding the health and well being of the people and will be prosecuted by the Environmental Mobile Court of the Agency.
To ensure compliance, the Agency has formed a strong surveillance team from the enforcement unit, mandated to go round all the nooks and crannies of the metropolis while the ban is not limited to Bauchi metropolis but applicable in all the 20 local government areas of the State.
The Agency also banned the transportation of meat in unhygienic vehicles to ensure that meats intended for human consumption are wholesome and advised the meat sellers to as a matter of public interest, provide cold vehicle Van for the conveyance of their products from the Abattoir to markets and will post Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) to approved slaughter house to ensure compliance.
BASEPA was established with the sole mandate of ensuring cleanliness and protection of the environment across the state. As the only key organ under the Ministry Of Environment and Housing, the Agency serves as a reference point for all environmental and public health activities in the state as contained in a statement by Isyaka Laminu Badamasi, SA Media to DG BASEPA.
