... Holds One-Day Workshop for Operators
Lagos State Government, on Wednesday, stated that the time has come to put an end to unsanitary practices in the operation and management of slaughterhouses and abattoirs in order to minimise their harmful effects on residents and the environment.
The Honourable Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello, made this known at a workshop organised by the Ministry for abattoir operators in Lagos State, themed "Environmental and Health Implications of Unsanitary Abattoir Operation" and held at the Johnson Agiri Hall, Lagos State Agric Complex, Oko-Oba, Agege.
Bello, who was represented at the workshop by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Mrs. Belinda Odeneye, maintained that abattoirs must be approved by the regulatory authorities for hygienic slaughtering of animals, processing and distribution of meat products for human consumption.
"Due to a rapid increase in the demand for meat, slaughterhouses are springing up in the nooks and crannies of the State to meet the needs of the people, thereby raising a lot of operational problems and issues from the haphazard way they carry out their businesses in detriment to the environment and to human health", he said.
He said the workshop became necessary in order to improve the hygiene status of abattoirs across the State and to prevent continuous pollution of the environment from both solid and liquid waste as a result of their operations.
Earlier, the General Manager, LASEPA, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, who spoke through Mr. Oyedele Osifeso, reminded abattoir operators to desist from burning cowhide and skin with disused tyres, saying it is carcinogenic.
The Director, Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Michael Adeyemi listed some of the criteria required for abattoir operations as: capital, land, access road, tax clearance and refrigerated van amongst others, adding that after meeting these requirements, the operator gets a provisional approval for monitoring before getting a Certificate of Operation which is renewable annually.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Lagos Butchers Association, Alhaji Kazeem Alabi expressed appreciation to the State Government for the workshop and appealed to the present administration to provide further training on how to convert waste to wealth.
The workshop had in attendance stakeholders in the meat processing, slaughter slabs and abattoir sectors.
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