Rivers State Executive Council has approved the shutdown of the popular ‘Oginiba Slaughter’ market located at Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout in Obio-Akpor Local Government.
The council yesterday at its meeting, presided over by Governor Nyesom Wike, ordered trading activities to stop at the abattoir.
Agric Commissioner Dr. Fred Kpakol said after the meeting that the land had been designated for a government project.
He directed occupants and persons doing business at the facility to vacate the place in the next one month.
The Commissioner said: “The abattoir at Trans-Amadi, Port Harcourt has been permanently closed. Trading activities have been directed to cease forthwith.
“A new project of the government will be built at Trans-Amadi (slaughter) soon. Occupants and those doing business at the abattoir at Trans-Amadi are advised to leave the place on or before one month, as the government intends to do a new project in that area.”
Kpakol recalled that at its previous meeting, the council approved the building of an abattoir at Mgbuosimini, Rumueme.
He said the abattoir, which would replace the ‘slaughter’ at Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout, would be an automated facility.
The Commissioner said the abattoir would have the capacity for slaughtering 400 cattle as well as 1,500 goats and sheep in a day.
He said the abattoir would be of world-standard and would be built in a hygienic environment.
“The abattoir to be built at Mgbuosimini in Rumueme is a modern abattoir, fully automated with the state-of-the-art facilities.
“It has a meat mart, an administrative building, internal roads, shore protection, veterinary clinics and laboratories that will check the animals before, and the tissues when being slaughtered”, Kpakol said.
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor (SAN), said
the users of the market would be moved to the new abattoir to be built by the government.
He said: “The entire land lying and situate at ‘Slaughter’ market at Oginiba, Trans–Amadi, is a state land. Rivers State Government reserves the right to decide on the use and otherwise of that land.
“In exercise of its right under law, Governor Wike has decided to ban trading activities at the ‘Slaughter market. The users will be moved to the new abattoir to be built by the Rivers State Government.”
The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, said the decision to shut Oginiba slaughter and build a modern abattoir at Mgbuosimini, Rumueme was in line with the new Rivers’ vision , engineered by Governor Wike.
