Agric Ministry to close down unhygienic abattoirs
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) is embarking on a nation-wide exercise to close down unhygienic abattoirs, Dr Hannah Louisa Bissiw, Deputy Sector Minister, has announced.
She said the action had become necessary because of the proliferation of unapproved slaughter houses and the poor and unhygienic conditions under which they operate.
Addressing the Second Ordinary Meeting of the Third Session of the Tano South District Assembly at Bechem, Dr Bissiw who is also the Member of Parliament for Tano South, said team of veterinary surgeons were undertaking the exercise.
She said the exercise had already begun in the Greater Accra Region and would soon extend to the Ashanti Region and Brong-Ahafo Region before the end of the year.
The exercise is being undertaken under the Public Health Act which mandated MOFA through the Veterinary Services.
Dr Bissiw noted with concern that the health of the general public was in danger because of the poor sanitary conditions at some abattoirs stressing that MOFA would not sit down unconcerned for an outbreak of cholera or any other communicable disease in the country.
She commended the assembly members for their voluntary spirit and appealed to them to cooperate and work closely with the Tano South District Chief Executive to advance the level of development in the area.
Dr Bissiw urged the assembly members to ensure that they interacted regularly with their constituents to enable them identify their concerns and needs to the assembly.
She said the district could develop speedily if the assembly members discharged their duties devoid of partisan politics and intended to set-up a development committee to ascertain the immediate development needs of the people.
Mr Anthony Opoku, Presiding Member of the assembly, noted that the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) was not only insufficient but its release was irregular.
“This means we cannot rely on the DACF to meet our developmental needs,” he stressed and urged the assembly members to collaborate and explore innovative ways to increase the assembly’s internally generated fund.
Mr Opoku expressed concern about the several complaints received on stray animals in the communities and appealed to the assembly to construct a pen for such animals.
He said this would prevent such animals from destroying people’s properties and farms.
Source: GNA