The Federal Government said that it would be constructing about nine modern abattoir markets across the country that would meet global standard before the end of the administration.
The Registrar, Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCN), Dr Yakubu Baba, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
Baba said that the Environment, Agriculture and Health Ministries worked together because the ministries are interwoven.
According to him, in those days, sanitary inspectors used to inspect abattoir markets to ensure the areas are environmentally friendly, before the inspectors were driven out.
“The health inspectors then worked with veterinary doctors at the abattoir markets.
“This is the way they worked those days. If an animal is taking to the abattoir to slaughter, the live animals will be inspected thoroughly by the veterinary doctors, before the public health officers will clear such animal for slaughtering.
“The essence of doing all the checking on the animals is to identify the ones that have diseases. This is in line with the council’s provision in its environmental law,” he said.
Baba said if 60 per cent of diseases are discovered in any animal during the inspection, such animal would be totally condemned.
He said that the government would also provide compensation for such condemned animals.
He said that the Federal Government had decided to introduce the old system of sanitary inspection, thereby, using the global way of operating in the markets.
He said that the abattoir markets have been provided with modern system, a situation whereby there is access to adequate water and other necessary items needed to ensure effective operation of the markers.
He said that the whole process is being done in a hygienic manner and environmentally friendly.
“So, I believe before the end of this administration, we are going to have like six to seven or nine modern abattoir markets nationwide, that will meet the global standard that even other African continents can learn and understudy the system.
“For me, as a nation, we are moving ahead, because we have come up with the solution to the problem of the abattoir.
“When you see how our abattoirs are being operated, before our administration’s intervention, you will not be enticed to even eat meat.
“But today, our effort is showing that we are working, we have really brought back the public health inspectors of those days,” he said.
The Registrar said that the issue of sanitation falls under the regulatory control of the council which have 17 components.
He said that two of the 17 components are the abattoir sanitation and premises inspection, adding that the sanitation is in the concurrent list in constitution.
He said that the concurrent list in the constitution is meant to give power of sanitation to the states and local government levels under the public health laws.