Amaechi Okonkwo, Port Harcourt.
The Rivers state executive council, on Monday, approved total shutdown of the Oginiba slaughter market located in Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout in Obio-Akpor local government area of Rivers state.
The council, at its meeting presided over by Governor Nyesom Wike, directed a stop to all forms of trading activities in the abattoir.
The Trans-Amadi Slaughter Market is the largest and most modern abattoir in the state and has been a major landmark of the Oginigba community.
The abattoir and the adjoining market were temporarily closed in the heat of the COVID-19 lockdown but the government has come to say it is now totally shutting down the market.
Briefing journalists after the council meeting, Rivers state commissioner for agriculture, Dr Fred Kpakol said a new project of government had been designated for the land in Trans-Amadi.
Kpakol stated that all occupants and those doing business in the slaughter market were advised to pack out of the premise 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.
“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 government intends to do a new project in that area.”
The commissioner recalled that, at its previous meeting, the state executive council approved the building of a new abattoir in Mgbuosimini, Rumueme, adding that the new abattoir, which would replace the slaughter in Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout, would be an automated facility.
He explained that the new abattoir would have the capacity to slaughter 400 cattle as well as 1500 goats and sheep in a day. According to him, the modern abattoir would be world-standard and would be set up in a hygienic environment.
“The modern abattoir to be built in Mgbuosimini in Rumueme, is a modern abattoir, fully automated with the 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 journalists, the Rivers state attorney general and commissioner for justice, Professor Zacchaeus Adangor (SAN), explained that banning of all trading activities at the slaughter market by the state government is in 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 comprise, lying and situate 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.
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 is in line with the new Rivers’ vision, engineered by Governor Wike.