The Borno State Chapter of the National Association of Butchers (NASB) on Monday condemned the closure of the Maiduguri cattle market and abattoir by the military for over three weeks, lamenting that such was bad for its teeming unemployed members.
Addressing a press conference at the Ramat Shopping Complex, Maiduguri, the NASB Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Gula disclosed that the closure of the cattle market and abattoir has caused a lot of “socio-economic hardships and trauma,” rendering over a million of its members who are without jobs hopeless.
He said despite the association’s appeals and complaints along with members of Livestock Traders Association (LITA) to the Military, the Shehu of Borno and other relevant authorities regarding the three-week closure, they remained adamant and the abattoir and cattle market remain closed.
His words: “Right from the leaders of sector two of the military, up to the General Officer Commanding of 7 Division of Nigerian Army and the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, we laid our complaints over the closure of the market and abattoir, but the representative of GOC, told us he will look into our complaints of loss of jobs and meat.”
He stated further: “Immediately after our visit to the GOC, the abattoir and the cattle marker were sealed off from transacting any business in the livestock industry, including the daily slaughter of 250-180 cattle and 600-700 sheep and goats in the abattoir,” adding that over 200,040 butchers were prevented from their means of livelihoods.
He said that his members will not allow any person to slaughter any cow or livestock for sale, because the association could be implicated from military’s closure of abattoir.
On alleged cattle rustling, Gula said: “Anyone that rustles cattle to slaughter in this abattoir, is the one to be arrested and interrogated; and not a blanket military action of closing our abattoir and cattle market in Maiduguri.”
He said since the closure, members of the association have lost over a million livestock, because they were not allowed to feed or slaughter any cow, sheep or goat at the abattoir.
“With the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency in Borno state, another trouble and calamities have hit the people with over a million butchers out of business to fend for themselves,” lamented Gula.
He said that the military and other relevant authorities were not fair and just to the butchers and meat sellers by closing the cattle market for over three weeks.
“The means of livelihood of our members in the livestock industry is being threatened, with over a million butchers and livestock dealers in Borno state out of jobs,” said Gula.
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