Insanitary, dilapidated nature of abattoir poses health threat - Residents cry out

Consumers of meat in the West Gonja District of Northern Ghana are bemoaning the unclean and shabby nature of the major meat shop in the district which they describe as a health threat.

The moth-eaten meat shop has been a subject of concern to the consuming public for sometime now.Consumers fear their lives are endangered if nothing is done about the situation.

The meat shop is located at the heart of the town and use to serve as the slaughter house as well.The gutters around the shop are regularly filled with solid waste including animal dropping.A walk into the meat shop itself reveal an even worse and unclean surrounding.

A resident who regularly purchase meat from the shop in expressing his frustration about the situation,lay the blame squarely on the negligence of major stakeholders.He maintained that the place should be well kept and refurbished if major actors realize the extent to which they are toying with the lives of the public with the current situation.

"Our health is being challenged here and we need a voice.No matter what,we will always purchase meat from these people,"he lamented on grounds of anonymity.

Speaking with the chief butcher about the development,he admitted the place was generally untidy and the building was increasingly tatty. He however,put the blame on the inability of the district assembly to constantly supply water to the facility.According to him,they pay revenue to the assembly and the assembly was responsible for supplying water to the meat shop for cleaning the place.But the assembly mostly supply the water late or shirk this responsibility.

He called on the sanitation department to ensure the gutters and surrounding of the meat shop are kept tidy and hygienic.He also appealed to the district assembly to rehabilitate the meat shop and ensure constant supply of water to the facility.

When contacted,the sanitation officer of the district maintained that they know their job and are doing their job,but there are challenges. She blamed the lack of cooperation on the part of the market women around the facility and the butchers in implementing sanitation laws for the situation.

Mr.Gadafi,an officer at the sanitation department decried the negative attitude of the market women around the meat shop towards the environment.According to him,the very moment the gutters are cleared,the market women litter them again and go to sleep expecting the zoomlion to do the cleaning.

He also wondered why the butchers refuse to always move their animals to the lairage before slaughtering them but rather prefer to tie them at the meat shop. He maintained that it's difficult to ensure the law properly works in the midst of the genuine challenges. "We know what is right but sometimes there are challenges,"he reiterated.

According to him,butchers mostly take the law into their own hands and even threaten to beat-up sanitation officers on inspection who insist on the law.He recounted an incident where an animal which was observed to be sick was about to be slaughtered for sale.And when their director attempted to intervene by stopping them,they threaten to beat the officer up.

He fears the situation could even be worst as the raining season sets in if nothing is done.He believe the only way forward is when the law is allowed to work.

The West Gonja District Assembly in October 2017,commissioned the slaughter house(abbatoir) which is located a bit away from Damongo township.The essence was to ensure that the animals are always slaughtered there,prepared before moving same to the market shop which use to serve as the abattoir as well for sale. It was also to curb the danger the animals could pose to human life when they are transported to the now market shop to be slaughtered and sanitation related challenges associated with killing and preparing animals at the said located which happen to be the central business district of the town.