Butchers in Kubwa town, Kubwa Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have decried the poor state of the main abattoir in the area.

Abuja Metro learnt that the abattoir was built in the early 90s.

The butchers said the facility is operated by the Agric and Rural Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

They called for a facelift of the facility, which has been neglected for decades.

The Sarkin Pawa (chief butcher) in Kubwa, Alhaji Umar Sule, said despite revenue being generated to the government by the butchers as well as providing employment to the teeming youth in the area and beyond, the facility has not been receiving government intervention.

Speaking on the mode of their operation, Sule said all the cows and other animals that were brought to the abattoir for slaughtering are always inspected by the veterinary doctors before and after the exercise, in order to ensure that only healthy meat is taken to the consumers.

He said, “Meat that is found to be infected with any disease is usually confiscated and incinerated.

“In such circumstances, some compensation is expected to be given to the affected butcher by the government to minimize his loss and also to encourage others to adhere to the best practices.

“But this gesture has not been applied by the government, which has left our members bearing the entire loss.”

The Sarkin Pawa called on the Agric Secretariat of the FCTA to save the abattoir from further deterioration by renovating it, lamenting that every time it rained, butchers in the facility had to move around with their meat consignment.

Also speaking, another leader of the butchers, Alhaji Sani Yarima, said a soakaway was attached to the abattoir with a plan to release its water to a nearby canal.

“But for a long time now, the passage of the water has been blocked by some residents nearby, thereby stopping used water from the facility from getting to the canal,’’ Yarima said.

He called on the secretariat to enforce the reopening of the channel, as well as providing a cold room for the abattoir which, according to him, could be used to preserve the unsold meat.

The Mandate Secretary of the FCT Agric and Rural Secretariat, Lawan Kolo Geidam, available when Abuja Metro visited the secretariat yesterday, but an official said the administration would pay attention to all the abattoirs in the territory this year.

“Not only the Kubwa abattoir, all the ones in the FCT, including the one in Karu, would be given attention this year,’’ he said.