By Lucky Isibor
Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has inaugurated a 13-man caretaker committee for the state’s butchers’ union, with a charge to restore sanity to the business.
Addressing the committee, which is chaired by Mr. Paul Odigie, Obaseki, said that the lingering crisis in the union has become worrisome, noting, “If we don’t nip the problem in the bud, it could escalate.
“No responsible government will sit down and fold its hands and watch a situation like this degenerate.”
He said the state government has taken control of all the activities at the abattoirs to ensure that butchers do not slaughter unauthorised animals, such as donkeys and also to make sure that only government-approved rates are collected.
“I expect that the committee ensures sanity in the business. As a government, we are making a lot of investment in improving the business environment in the state. Edo is a hub; people naturally pass through our state when going to other states.
The goal of our government is to increase the level and quality of economic activities in the state,” he said.
Noting that the state government is committed to strengthening the livestock sector to become a hub in the South-South, he said, “If we are able to organise our livestock business properly in line with standard practice, I don’t see why we cannot be the hub of livestock business in the south-south.”
Obaseki charge the committee to ensure that high standard is maintained in all abattoir and government-approved livestock houses and also ensure that all animals are safe for consumption.
In his remark, Odigie expressed his committee’s appreciation to the state government for saddling them with the assignment, assuring that they would work within the ambit of the law to bring sanity to operations of the union.
