Aba meat dealers protest introduction government hygienic bag

Meat dealers at the popular water side otherwise known as Ahia Udele have taken to the streets of Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State to protest what they described as exploitation by the leadership of the abattoir and the State Ministry of Agriculture respectively with the introduction of a hygienic bag.

Infonet9ja.com gathered that the hygienic bag was compulsory for the meat dealers as a measure to improve the hygienic way of packaging and transporting meats from the abattoir along Aba-Ikot Ekpene Highway to various parts of the city where it would be sold to consumers in Aba and its neighbouring south-south, southeast states.

A visit of this platform at the abattoir reveals that many health practitioners have expressed worries over the hygienic nature of the meat coming from the abattoir that consumers eat.

They are also worried that the carts and some of the tricycles used in conveying meats to different parts of the commercial city have become worrisome. This is even as they called on the state ministry of health to urgently intervene and address the situation.

However, in what seems to be a heed to the clarion calls by concerned citizens of the state over the hygienic condition of meat packaged out of the prestigious abattoir, hence the introduction of a hygienic polythene bag.

It was learnt that the bag which was originally sold for N400 each was rebuffed by the meat dealers and was brought down to N200 after several attempts to force it down the throat of the dealers failed.

The meat dealers feeling that the N200 price tag on the waterproof was equally too much considering that they would be buying it on daily basis refused to buy it, but the leadership of the group and the state Agric ministry were determined to force it on the dealers as they reportedly hired the services of one the security agencies in the state to confiscate meats of the traders who refused to buy the waterproof.

That didn’t go down well with the meat dealers as they took to the streets of Enyimba city to protest the imposition, saying that the introduction of the hygienic bag was a way the state commissioner for Agriculture and their leader, Hon. Emeka Torti have devised to extort money from them.

Some of them who gave their names as Chidi, Elijah and Gilbert said that they were not opposed to the introduction of the waterproof which they noted would help to protect meats from being infected.

But in what seems to be a move to backtrack from its earlier stance and restoring calm in the abattoir, Abia state government at the weekend announced the suspension of the controversial bag and has fixed Monday, 11^th June to discuss further on it.

A release by Uma Ibem Oke, the Public Relation Officer for Commissioner of Agriculture Barrister Uzo Azubuike denied forcing the butchers to buy the bag, but however stated that it was the butchers who decided on their own to adopt such.

According to the release, “The attention of the Ministry of Agriculture has been drawn to the recent protest by some butchers and meat vendors in Aba on the use of hygienic waterproof bags for the packaging of all slaughtered meats moving from the slaughters to the market.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Ministry wishes to state in clear terms that the Ministry did not impose the bags on the butchers rather in an Interactive/Town Hall Meeting held on March 5th 2018 at Aba Town Hall, which was well attended by all the executives and members of the various Butchers Associations and Meat Vendors, they unanimously agreed to put to stop the exposure of meat to unhygienic conditions by carrying meat uncovered on Hijack, Keke and Okada and sometimes dragging the meat along the road.

“They also resolved to form themselves into committee to ascertain the ideal cost for the procurement of the subject bags which will be operational by the 1st of April, 2018. However, the committee did not report back until end of May 2018 hence the approval for Implementation from June 4, 2018.

“The Ministry therefore invites the leadership and members of the various Butchers Associations and Meat Vendors to an Interactive Town Hall meeting on Monday 11th June, 2018 at OLAZ OIL FILLING STATION Waterside Aba by 1 pm prompt.

“Meanwhile, the sale of the Hygienic Bag is hereby suspended pending the outcome of the meeting, while the policy against unhygienic exposure of meats remains in force. All concerned should be properly guided.”