Ministry Alerts Over Consumption Of Infected Animals

The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Jokotade Adamu, says most animals slaughtered at slaughter slabs for public consumption in the state are infested with tuberculosis, hepatitis B,. Staphylococcus and tapeworm.

Mrs Jokotade Adamu in an exclusive interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt alerted that Rivers State would experience increase in such diseases (sicknesses) unless urgent measures were taken to check the development.

The Permanent Secretary said the discovery that animals to be slaughtered at slaughter slabs for public consumption were infested with tuberculosis and other diseases was the fallout of a recent inspection of approved slaughter slabs in the state.

Though, she said such inspection was carried out periodically, recent revelation had rekindled the decision of the ministry to inspect the slaughter slabs on regular basis to guarantee the lives of those who consume meat.

The planned regular inspection, she said included revalidation of all slaughter houses in the state, issuance of certificates to registered ones and  prosecution of illegal operators of slaughter slabs.

But The Tide gathered that the inability of the ministry to inspect animals before they were slaughtered daily was due to the shortage of veterinary doctors in the ministry.

According to reliable sources, the state ministry of Agriculture had only two veterinary doctors to service the state.

Consequently, the sources said the two doctors might not be able to inspect the animals before they were slaughtered for public consumption.

The Director, veterinary department in the ministry, Dr Allwell Emejuru, however, said that there were about 38 registered slaughter houses in the state with uncountable number of operators of illegal slaughter houses where it was believed that most sick animals were taken to and slaughtered.

According to section 7, sub-section 4 of the meat inspection and sale law of Nigeria, no persons shall slaughter any animal which is  intended for human consumption or dress the carcass of any such animal elsewhere than in a registered slaughter house.

The law adds ‘no persons shall sell for human consumption any meat derived from an animal, which is slaughtered elsewhere than in a registered slaughter house, and that any person who contravenes any of the provisions of this section  shall be guilty of an offence.

Sogbeba Dokubo