30th December, 2016
Chicken dealers and butchers in Keffi, Nasarawa State, have expressed concern over possible epidemic from the slaughterhouse as they continue to operate in limited space and filthy environment.
They made their views known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Keffi.
They drew the state government’s attention to the ripple effect of an epidemic should there be any outbreak as a result of the filth in the place.
Mr. Musa Muhammed who sells chicken in the Keffi market said the space for them was small, which made it dirty as both the seller’s and butchers were together.
He cautioned that “if government did not create separate places for sellers and for chicken dressers, an epidemic might soon break out.
“The job of chicken dressing is also very important because it is the people’s means of survival.”
Mr. Hassan Bala who slaughters chicken at the market also said it had not been easy for him and his colleagues as they charge N50 per chicken and pay for the clearing of the place daily at N100 “because of the heap of chicken waste generated.”
Mr. Danjuma Dako, a man who sells foodstuff beside the chicken sellers area said the smell in the area was irritating and could make one not to eat for the whole day.
He added that the stench was worst during festive periods because more people buy chicken and the place was left uncleared and the dirt decompose and smell terribly bad in the whole area.
He also urged the state government to assist them, saying the situation had been the same for many years.