Damisi Ojo, Akure
Following last Thursday mysterious death of eight cows at Ekan-Ile area of Ikare, Akoko Northeast local government area of Ondo state, there has been market boom for dry and frozen fish,Cray fish and egg
Many people have shunned cow meat and ‘Ponmon’ due to contaminated cow meat brought from the spot by some butchers where lightening killed eight cows.
They sold the meat at low prices to consumers.
A visit to Oja-Oba,Osele,Okore and Jubilee markets all in Ikare-Akoko, there was very low patronage for cow meat.
A butcher,Muniru Osuolale, the Deputy Chairman of the Butcher Association, attributed the development to the directive by the state government directing health officers to fumigate the dead cows and cautioned people not to buy meat cow for now as contaminated cow meat was in circulation.
According to him, it has negative effect on their business.
Some of the herdsmen who sold the cows to the butchers were arrested by the appropriate authorities.
The Secretary-General to Hausa Community in Akokoland, Alhaji Tijani Sani described the case as very unfortunate, stressing that government and community leaders ought to have been briefed immediately the incident happened.
He lamented that the dead cows were very big.
Efforts to speak with Olukare of Ikare, Oba Saliu Akadiri Momoh on the development was not successful.
Already, five persons believed to be butchers who bought the cows and the herdsmen that sold them had been arraigned at Ikare-Akoko Chief Magistrate Court for not involving health workers in inspecting the contaminated meat before selling to the unsuspecting consumers.
– Nation
