From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Executive Council (SEC) has approved a total shutdown of the Oginiba slaughter market located in the Trans-Amadi Industrial layout in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
The council at its meeting that was presided over by Governor Nyesom Wike, directed a stop to all forms of trading activities in the abattoir.
Briefing reporters after the council meeting, State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Fred Kpakol, said a new project of government has been designated to be sited at that land in Trans-Amadi.
Kpakol stated that all occupants and those doing business in the slaughter were advised to pack out of the premises within the next one month.
‘The slaughter in Trans-Amadi, Port Harcourt, has now been permanently closed down and all trading activities have been directed to cease forthwith,’ he said.
‘A new project of government will be built at Trans-Amadi (slaughter) soonest. All occupants and those doing business in Slaughter at Trans-Amadi are hereby advised to pack out of that land and premises on or before one month, as the government intends to do a new project in that area.’
Speaking further, Kpakol recalled that at its previous meeting, the state council approved the building of a new abattoir in Mgbuosimini, Rumueme.
According to him, the new abattoir, which will replace the slaughter in Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout, will be an automated facility.
The commissioner said the new abattoir will have the capacity to slaughter 400 cattle, as well as 1,500 goats and sheep in a day.
According to him, the modern abattoir would be world standard and will be set up in a hygienic environment.
‘The modern abattoir to be built in Mgbuosimini in Rumueme is a modern abattoir, fully automated with state-of-the-art facilities. It has a meat mart, administrative building, internal roads, shore protection, veterinary clinics and laboratories that will check the animals before, and also the tissues when being slaughtered.’
Also, briefing reporters, the Rivers State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Professor Zacchaeus Adangor, a Senior Advocate Nigeria (SAN), explained that banning of all trading activities at the slaughter market by the state government was in the exercise of its right under the law.
According to him, all the users of the market would be moved to the new abattoir to be constructed by the Rivers State Government.
‘The entire land lying and situated at slaughter market in Oginiba, Trans-Amadi is state land. The Rivers State Government reserves the absolute right to decide on the use and otherwise of that land.
‘In exercise of its right under the law, the governor has decided to ban all trading activities at that slaughter market and the users will be moved to the new abattoir to be constructed by the Rivers State Government.’
The Commissioner of Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim explained that the decision to shut the Oginiba slaughter and build a modern abattoir in Mgbuosimini, Rumueme was in line with the new Rivers’ vision, engineered by Governor Wike.