Bolgatanga butchers start business at new abattoir

Butchers in the Bolgatanga Municipality, Upper East Region, on Wednesday began business at the new Abattoir at Yorogo, after a three-week-long sit-down strike to protest the Assembly’s directive to move to the new place.

When the Ghana News Agency visited the abattoir mid-morning on the first day of work, seventeen cattle and some ruminants had already been slaughtered for supply to the market, restaurants, and other eateries in the Municipality.

The butchers had refused to use the new abattoir at Yorogo insisting that the five-kilometer distance from Bolgatanga Township inconvenienced them as there was no livestock market nearby and they had to cart the animals from Bolgatanga to the place.

Mr Tindanzor Koldoog, the Chief of the Butchers, said some of the butchers had reported to work and more were expected in the following days.

He said they called off the strike after the intervention of the Bolgatanga Traditional Authority, stakeholders, and the Municipal Chief Executive.

Responding to the progress of work he said there were a few bottlenecks as those who burn the fur of goats and sheep after they were slaughtered were unable to do so at the site since arrangements had not been made for its full operation and therefore livestock had to be taken back to the old butchers’ shop for proper burning to be done.

Mr Koldoog said sewerage points were yet to effectively work and though there was water in poly tanks available, it could not flow well since the sewerage was blocked and did not allow water after washing to flow out.

The Environment and sanitation workers were present at the facility.

Though no animal is expected to be slaughtered on the floor, the person trained to operate the guillotines was absent on the first day hence manpower was applied to slaughter, and cleaning was done on the bare floor.

The Municipal Assembly locked up the old abattoir in Bolgatanga when the butchers were asked to relocate to the new facility and that contributed to the sit-down strike which affected restaurants, chop bars, and many homes that buy meat from the market.

Earlier in an interview with the manager of ‘High Taste’ restaurant, Madam Mercy Golo said the action of the butchers had a toll on her work since she resorted to travelling to Navrongo in the Kassena Nankana Municipality and Tamale in the Northern Region to buy meat.

Some food joint operators expressed gratitude to the Municipal Assembly for the movement of the butchers.

Source: GNA