OYO State Butchers Association has agreed to partner with Oyo State Government on the feasibility of the proposed centralised abattoir in Akinyele Local Government Area of the state.

The butchers conveyed their position at a news briefing on Friday in Lagos after a facility tour of the Lagos State Centralised Abattoir situated in the Oko-Oba neighbourhood of the state.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the delegation of butchers, led by Alhaji Abidemi Siyanbade, the Special Adviser to Gov. Abiola Ajimobi on Community Relations, was in Lagos to understudy the operations of the centralised abattoir.

Siyanbade told newsmen that the visit, which was at the instance of the governor, was aimed at enlightening the butchers and state government on how the Lagos centralised abattoir worked.

“Today, we have established the fact that Ibadan Central Abattoir in Akinyele Local Government can function effectively and efficiently in a similar manner. We learnt that Oko-Oba Abattoir is the only centralised abattoir in Lagos.

“We were told that it was only last year that the Lagos State Government decided to establish modular types of abattoir at some areas in Lagos and all, including the Lagos centralised abattoir, are run via a Public-Private Partnership,” he said.

The special adviser expressed optimism that the central abattoir in Ibadan would soon be functional since the butchers had established that a centralised abattoir could also work in Ibadan.

Alhaji Abdul-Azeez Adekunle, the Chairman, Oyo State Butchers Association, pledged that the association would partner with the government to ensure that the state’s abattoirs functioned well.

Adekunle, who was represented by Abdulfatai Adekunle, said that the butchers were impressed about how the Lagos centralised abattoir functioned effectively, particularly its mechanised animal slaughtering lines.

“We came to see how they are doing it in Lagos, particularly the mechanised slaughtering model. Today, we are very much impressed with what we have seen.

“We were exposed to the mechanised and conventional methods; we hope to partner with the government to make our abattoir in Ibadan function well.

“We just have to move forward and from the old way of doing things; we just have to sit down together and agree on some important issues,’’ he said.

Also speaking, Mr Yinka Fatoki, Executive Secretary, Oyo State Bureau of Investment Promotion, said that the visit was part of the ongoing stakeholders’ engagement on the desirability and workability of a centralised abattoir in a metropolitan city like Ibadan.

“We have come here with some members of the butchers association, some local government chairmen and some government functionaries.

“It is good to know that since 1995, the Oko-Oba Abattoir has been the only centralised abattoir in Lagos,’’ he said.

Mr Adekunle Oladeji, the Chairman of Aare Latoosa Local Council Development Area, called for a synergy between the butchers and government.

“What we saw here today is worth being emulated. I think the butchers will agree with government and ensure the workability of the abattoir,” he said.

Earlier, Dr Micheal Adeyemi, a Deputy Director, Veterinary Services, Lagos State, and Mr Adesegun Bello, Managing Director, Harmony Abattoir Management Services, urged butchers in Oyo State to embrace the centralised abattoir model.

Adeyemi said that there was no better abattoir model than the centralised abattoir, adding that several benefits abounded in it.

Also, Alhaji M.B Yusuf, who represented the Chairman, Lagos State Butchers Association, urged their Oyo State counterparts to embrace the modern abattoir system.

Yusuf recalled how the Lagos State Government facilitated their trip to Kenya and Botswana to understudy the mechanised slaughterhouse system.

“There are several advantages for the butchers, people and government in a centralised abattoir.

“I, however, implore the government to establish a ‘Butchers Academy’ as well as the Butchers Insurance Scheme,” he said.

NAN reports that the delegation was conducted round the abattoir and its facilities by the management of the Lagos Abattoir.

NAN recalls that the Oyo State Government has repeatedly directed butchers in Ibadan to relocate to the centralised abattoir in the Akinyele area of the city.

However, the butchers have tacitly refused to comply with the directive, claiming that a centralised abattoir cannot work effectively in the Ibadan metropolis. (NAN)

–   Jan.  19 2018 @ 20:48 GMT