Nothing modern about Minna’s ‘ultra-modern’ abattoir
It is referred to as an ‘ultra modern’ abattoir but the name is hardly a reflection of the rot and dilapidation that a tour of the 27-year-old facility throws up amidst concern of threat to health of many of its customers.
The inscription on the plaque that heralded its commissioning 27 years ago is still every inch bold, but the facility has long lost its ‘ultra modern’ status. Yet, most meat consumed across Minna town in Niger State emanate from within its precinct.
It has all the trappings of modernity through which it derived its name when it was commissioned by the Col Lawan Gwadabe military administration sometime in 1990. The specialized water system powered by solar to effectively clean the operating area of blood and offal, as well as washing the animals carcass after slaughtering and skinning; the cold rooms; the disposing system among others. These are in addition to a fully functional veterinary unit, which was intended to ensure the safety of animals slaughtered for public consumption and a sanitary regulation system.
Twenty seven years after its commissioning however, all the state-of-the-art infrastructure that were hitherto the pride of the Minna Modern Abattoir have collapsed, thereby putting the butchers, their products and millions of residents who depend on the facility for their daily meat supply at risk.
The rot and dilapidation is visible right from the entrance. The iron gate has since given way; so also is the main entrance to the building. The slaughtering slabs have since collapsed. The skinning, evisceration, chilling, cutting and deboning are done on the bare floor.
The sanitary regulation system earlier put in place has also winded up, so also is the drainage through which blood and waste are channeled, while the reservoir that house all the dirt before their evacuation is in a state of disuse. So, the blood and waste from the main building have stagnated and formed a large pool behind the roasting section.
Some feet away, animal dung and other pouch contents pile up in a heap. According to a public health officer, Hajara Yusuf, the activities in the abattoir result in air pollution, while soil and ground water are polluted by gastrointestinal tract contents that are washed into water sources during the rainy season.
Alhaji Muhammad Bawa, Sarkin Yakin Fawa, the head of butchers in the facility, acknowledged that being a butcher comes with a lot of responsibilities. “Our job is tied to the health of millions of residents,” he agreed, but said their roles are complimentary. “Government has the greater responsibility of providing conducive environment for business such as ours to thrive,” he averred.
Our correspondent observed that the veterinary unit still strived to ensure that only healthy animals are slaughtered in the facility for public consumption, but lacks the required manpower and equipment to effectively function.
Dr Nurudden Yahaya, an Animal Science chief technologist, said the unit can only carry out postmortem inspection immediately after the animal is slaughtered. “We look at the meat itself after the animals are slaughtered; we inspect the organs to ensure that what is going out to the public is safe for consumption,” he said. Dr. Nurudden revealed that meat discovered not fit for consumption are burnt. But a veterinary doctor who is into private practice, Dr. Haruna Ndagi observed that postmortem alone is not enough to ascertain the health status of animals.
Our correspondent learnt that the veterinary lack basic tools for determining the health status of animals before they are slaughtered.
The Sarkin Yaki said the facility has not undergone rehabilitation since the military exited the political scene. It was said to have been established by the Col Lawan Gwadabe administration and apart from the provision of cooling vans by the civilians government of late Abdulkadir Kure, which broke down few months after, the few interventions which came were also during the military administration of Col Simeon Oduoye and Cletus Emein.
Alhaji Muhammad revealed that aside the solar boreholes, which supplied water to the facility at inception, there was a standby dedicated water supply line from the Chanchage water works. He however said even the dedicated line ceased to function a long time ago.
Our correspondent observed that butchers now depend on water vendors whose supply sources are hardly verifiable. The existing overhead water tank has become rusty even as the three well reservoirs that accompanied the water supply system are in disuse.
Fifty year-old Yariman Sarkin Pawa, Alhaji Aliyu Muhammad Inuwa, said the deteriorating condition of the abattoir worsened with its takeover by the Chanchaga local government area. He lamented that despite serving as a daily revenue source for the council, successive chairmen had turned deaf ears when issues regarding its rehabilitation came up.
According to him, the council collects N200 per cow and N50 for each goat or ram slaughtered in the facility on daily basis and that over 200 persons draw their livelihood from its various operations.
The facility was a beehive of activity when visited it last Thursday. Vehicles conveying the animals usually start arriving the centre as early as 5:30 am each day to augment those that were offloaded the previous night. Then from the slaughtering, skinning, evisceration, cutting, deboning and roasting, each group would set to work through a division of labour devoid of crisis.
Pick up vans and tricycle operators wait for their turns to convey the meat to respective destinations across the city and markets.
Within the compound are stands where meat is retailed to restaurant operators and other customers. The facility also provides sustenance for tea-sellers, food vendors and provision store operators, among others.
The Sarkin Yakin Pawa and Yarima Sarkin Pawa, Alhaji Abdul-Hamid Danladi and a host of others who embraced the trade from childhood, tell the story of how it has impacted positively on their lives and those of their families.
They all had married, gone on pilgrimage to Mecca, built houses, acquired vehicles and are training their children from the proceeds.
Abdul-Hamid’s three daughters, Rukaiya, Hajara and Hauwa are currently studying microbiology, law and health related courses in different tertiary institutions.
Sarkin Yaki Pawa and his Yarima tell similar stories of progress from what has become a life vocation for them.
They have also graduated from being butchers to cattle and goats dealers, operating on a higher scale. At their various stands surrounded by their employees last Thursday, they were unanimous that the trade has greatly enhanced their standard of living.
Malam Muhammad Yakubu, 20, a graduate of Biochemistry from the Bayero University Kano, who started out at the facility after his secondary school, said the business saw him through tertiary institution, even as he hopes to go back for a masters degree.
Twenty five-year-old Zakariyau Noma, on his part, started at the facility after his primary education and saw himself through secondary school. He now holds a diploma in Building Technology.
The Sarkin Yaki said they are over 10 students of various tertiary institutions sponsoring their education through what they earn at the facility, even as he confirmed that many more have graduated.
He wants Governor Abubakar Sani Bello to write his name in ‘gold’ by not just rehabilitating the facility but expanding it to accommodate more operators. “This place needs to be rehabilitated and expanded to attract more youths from the streets to the profession,” he pointed out, adding, “we also need delivery vans with cooling systems, packaging facilities and all those things that will make our operations more effective.”
From all indications, the operators’ needs can be met through sustained pressure, especially with the clock ticking towards another election period.