Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Margaret Elayo, issued the warning on Saturday after the state’s monthly sanitation exercise. She was represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Hussaini Babayayi.
Elayo said the slaughterhouse was in a very poor state and posed serious health risks to residents, as most people in Akwanga buy their meat from there.
“The place is not hygienic and it could endanger people’s health. If nothing changes between now and next month, the abattoir will be shut down,” she warned.
She also criticised the low level of compliance with sanitation rules in Akwanga, noting that many motorcycle riders and vehicle owners ignored the exercise. She said stricter measures would be enforced next month.
Reacting, the Deputy Chairman of Akwanga LGA, Basau Ibrahim-Shaibu, admitted that compliance was poor because the council had focused more on rural areas. He added that the state was already building a modern abattoir on the outskirts of Akwanga, but promised that immediate steps would be taken to clean up the current one and enforce hygiene laws.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time Nasarawa has threatened such action. Just last month, the state also warned it could shut down the Lafia Modern Abattoir over similar sanitation problems.
