The Nasarawa State Government has given operators of the Akwanga abattoir one month to clean up the facility or face its closure over poor hygiene practices.
Margret Elayo, Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, issued the warning while briefing journalists after the September sanitation exercise in Akwanga Local Government Area (LGA).
The Commissioner, represented by Hussaini Babayayi, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, said the unhygienic practices in the abattoir posed significant threat to the health and well-being of residents.
She said that the team from the ministry had inspected the facility during the monthly sanitation exercise and discovered the poor state of the abattoir.
The commissioner emphasised the need for strict adherence to sanitation laws, noting that the ministry would closely monitor the abattoir’s activities from now to the end of Oct., to ensure cleanliness and compliance with sanitation guidelines.
“Most of our brothers and sisters staying in Akwanga get their meat from this abattoir, but the place is not hygienic. It affects our people’s health.
“Government will do something urgently to ensure the safety of our citizens in Akwanga. The abattoir is not proper for slaughtering animals and if nothing changes between now and next month, I assure you that the abattoir will be shut down,” she added.
On the sanitation exercise, Elayo expressed disappointment with the low level of compliance among Akwanga residents and urged them to be more committed to keeping the environment clean.
She also decried the disregard for movement restrictions by commercial drivers and motorcycle operators during the exercise, stressing that future violations would attract sanctions.
In his remarks, Basau Ibrahim-Shaibu, Deputy Chairman of Akwanga LGA, acknowledged the poor compliance rate and explained that the council had now shifted focus to rural areas.
He assured that immediate measures would be put in place to improve the sanitary condition of the abattoir and to enforce regulations aimed at safeguarding public health.