*Commends Gov. Soludo on Development Initiatives in Anambra State.
Eche Nwaobosi reporting from Onitsha
High Chief Sunday Arum Ezekiel Nwaobodo (aka) (Nwata Kwochaa aka of Obe in Enugu State) who is the chairman United Butchers Association Main Market Onitsha, the umbrella body of all butchers in the market as well as other markets like Ochanja, Ose, etc, has bemoaned the high cost of cows in Nigeria.
He claimed that it was the reason why the cost of meats are on the increase on daily basis, especially in the South East, South South and Middle Belt areas of the country.
He disclosed this while speaking to the journalists who came to the Butchers zone of Onitsha Main Market to monitor the activities in the market yesterday. Nwobodo said that so many factors are responsible for these rise in price of cows. The factors he enumerated, includes daily downfall of Nigerian currency (Naira to other currencies), insecurity, which had left many herders killed in the forest, cost of transportation which he said is always on the increase stressing that cows which was in the past sold at N500,000.00 to N700,000.00 are now being sold at not less than a Million Naira or more adding that these ugly development has thrown a lot of them out of business.
He said that they need help to encourage them to remain in business,m. He suggested that government should consider creating various soft loan programmes to subsidize their businesses either by subsidizing the cost of transportation as well as creating ranches in every part of the country to abolish open grazing, etc, so that it will be easy for them to buy cows at affordable rates.
Commenting on the general sanitary condition of their abaitor and obeying of government stipulated safety standards on quality of meats, he stated that their members in everywhere they operate carry their business under the state and local government safety standard regulations as it concerns sanitation and quality of meat. He said that government officials through their veterinary personnels ensure that their abaitors are kept clean and do not indulge in selling of dead or decayed meats.
On Gov. Chukwuma Soludo’s achievements in Anambra State so far; he described it as excellent, adding that his achievements in the state has surpassed achievements of all his predecessors in office, assuring that his entire members will give him maximum support for a second tenure in office in case he wants to come back to the office.
