Commissioner Lauds RSHA Over Stance On Livestock Movement

The Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Fred Kpakol, has lauded the State House of Assembly over its motion to check the importation of dead and contaminated livestock into the State.
Kpakol, who stated this during a chat with newsmen in Port Harcourt, also warned abattoirs across the State against killing livestock without an inspection by veterinary doctors of the ministry, just as it threatened to shut down any abattoir with poor hygiene condition.
According to him, “I really want to thank the Rivers State House of Assembly on the motion they moved on the floor of the House. It is in line with our (Ministry) plans and we have to move very swiftly to that. These meat that are being killed and brought in from outside we don’t know the source.
“We don’t know how healthy they are. Most of the diseases like Lassa fever and even this Coronavirus are all coming from animals. The abattoirs in the State must be certified by the Ministry of Agriculture. No meat should be killed without inspection by veterinary doctors from the ministry so that people don’t consume their death.
“Any food you eat either enhances your health or destroy you. He also said the Ministry will increase surveillance across boarder local government areas of the State to check the importation of dead or contaminated livestock.
“So I want to appeal to the butchers and also to the public that they should be careful and be able to maintain those hygienic situations because inspection of the meat should be done and they certify it before they are killed.
“And when any meat is killed, they should check the tissues to ensure that the tissues are also in good condition. So we must know the number of cows that are being killed and how healthy they are. So we are totally in line with what the House of Assembly has said and we will enforce these to its letters.”
The Commissioner further said people in the boarder communities should assist the ministry by looking out for livestock entering the State.
“So, all the boarders, Mbiama boarder, Oyigbo boarder, Ogoni area boarder, Ikwerre boarder, everybody should be very vigilant to ensure that no one is allowed to bring dead meat into the State,” Kpakol stated.

By: Dennis Naku