Yemisi Izuora
A major action by
Cattle dealers in Lagos state may cause scarcity of beef supply in the state and its environ.
The dealers with the support of butchers and other stakeholders at the Oko-Oba Abattoir in Agege, Lagos State a major Abattoir in the southwest, said they would frustrate supply cattle to the state.
Their action would continue until the state government compensate them for the demolition it carried out at the abattoir.
The stakeholders, under the umbrella of Cattle Dealers Association of Nigeria, United Butchers Association and the Myetti Allah Cow Dealers Association of Nigeria, also accused the government of reneging on an earlier agreement on the modalities for the demolition of shanties at the market.
The Seriki Fulani and leader of the market, Alhaji Bello Dan-Mubaffa, said that he was surprised that the state government went beyond the agreement they had and demolished public toilets and mosques, which were inspected and approved by the government.
Dan-Mubaffa said, “We thought we were at peace with the government. We give the Ministry of Agriculture daily reports. We had more than six meetings on how this demolition should be carried out.
“But the Sunday demolition has shown that it is either the government has no regard for us or it detests northerners, who are in the majority at this abattoir.
“We have decided that until the government compensates us, no cattle will be allowed into Lagos from the North.”
The Assistant Secretary of the Cattle Dealers Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Bashiru Alamin, said over 24 toilets were demolished, which cost N20m to construct.
Also, the Chairman of the United Butchers Association, Alhaji Umar Adam, called on the state governor Akinwunmi Ambode to intervene and save the traders from those seeking to ruin their business.