Sylvester Idowu in Warri

Butchers and executive members of the Ozoro Abattoir in Delta State have raised the alarm over the deplorable state of the facility, accusing the Isoko North Local Government Council Authority of total neglect and abandonment.

The leadership traced the failure of the facility to the alleged substandard execution of the contract in the use of lower quality materials, ranging from the sizes of rods, poles to poor flooring, among others.

They placed the blame on one of the past Presidents-General of the Ozoro Kingdom, Hon. Miller Akpoili, who they alleged did not do the work to the required specifications, leading to the dilapidation of the infrastructure.

The butchers therefore, urged the current Isoko North Local Government Authority for immediate intervention to restore a functional solar water supply, electricity, cage, and repairs of the slaughter fence to prevent the risk of losing their cattle.

The Chairman of the butchers, Mr. Mike Akpoili, from Erovie community, over the weekend, lamented that the lack of proper drainage has left cow blood and dirty water stagnant, creating a foul smell in the area.

“There is no gutter for water to flow, so everything remains here and stinks. This is dangerous to public health,” he stated.

Also given credence to the complaints, the former Chairman of the abattoir, Mr. Lucky Ilugba, said the situation has made work difficult for the butchers, recalling that several letters of complaint have been written to the chairman of the council without any response whatever.

He noted that the present chairman had remained insensitive to the plight of the butcher, adding: “We have no water, no light, and the fence is destroyed. We need urgent help to fix these problems.”

The Youth Chairman, Mr. Paul Felix, said that the slaughter ground was dilapidated and needed reconstruction for safety and hygiene.

The butchers collectively appealed to the Local Government Council Authority to live up to its responsibility by renovating the abattoir, constructing proper gutters, providing water and electricity, and creating  a safer, more hygienic environment for both workers and consumers.

All efforts to get the council’s side of the report at the time of filing this report were not successful.

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