The National Butchers Union of Nigeria held a sensitisation meeting in Port Harcourt, yesterday. The meeting was exclusively for its members from South-South States.
The national secretary of the union, Alh. Sa’id Ibrahim Adam received a group of journalists after the meeting and highlighted some of the union’s critical role in food chain supply.
Alh. Adam asserted that “butchers are playing pivotal role in boosting the economy and security of the country, despite our role in boosting the economy in the country, our union is being the most neglected.”
We are soliciting for government support to meet international standard. With the support of the government, we can export our meat to neighboring countries and continents. Our meat is being among the best in the world today”, he added.
On the role of the butchers on the economy, he added that “An average of 20,789 cattle and an average of 44,467 goats were being slaughtered everyday, and taxes were paid on the every animal before it will be slaughtered.”
He stressed that the union is reducing unemployment in the country: there are more than ten million butchers across the nation and the union is also providing job opportunities to others; in terms of hide and skin the union is providing jobs, in terms of bones the union is providing jobs, and in terms of transportation of the animals or meat the union is also providing jobs. Our contributions to the economy of the country were in many ways.
The national secretary of NBUN, Alh. Sa’id Ibrahim Adam urged government to build national abattoir and renovate the dilapidated ones, provide preservation automated and cooling van for easy transportation of meats. It is not hygienic for butchers to transport meats on motorcycles, wheelbarrows, taxies or tricycles, but they do that because there are no hygienic means of transpiration. He added.