Bolgatanga, Feb. 26, GNA – Butchers in the Bolgatanga Municipality are to be trained on the use of the newly installed slaughtering and processing equipment.
The training would ensure that the butchers migrate fully from manual slaughtering and processing of animals, characterised by unhygienic practices, to mechanical processing for public consumption.
The butchers recently relocated to the new abattoir after initial disagreements when the Gh¢1.2 million World Bank project was completed and commissioned for use in 2018.
The butchers cited the distance from the abattoir, located at Yorogo, about five kilometres from the Bolgatanga Township, but eventually agreed to use the new place manually because they lack the technical know-how to operate the installed machines.
Mr Stephen Yakubu, the Upper East Regional Minister, who toured the facility in the company of Mr Rex Asanga, the Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), said, “What they are doing now is temporal, the Engineer will be in on Monday to train them. We had some problems with the butchers because they did not want to move here. The Engineer was here to train them, but most of them were not here. That is why they are still using the manual process and not the machines.
“As soon as they are trained, we expect that everything here will be improved,” he added.
The Minister addressed some concerns raised by the Chief Butcher, Mr Tindaazok Koldo, on the need for a good road network and a van to transport the meat to the market.
He assured the butchers that the Assembly would work to resolve their concerns.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Yakubu indicated that the work of the butchers in the abattoir was good.
“We are taking all their concerns very seriously, and we are going to address them,” Mr Yakubu added.
Mr Asanga, on his part, said “This environment is far better than what we used to see at the old abattoir in Bolgatanga. We are happy, but of course, we have to work to resolve their issues.
“We have the meat van at the Assembly, but my understanding is that the butchers themselves opted to use their own tricycles to transport the meat.
“Maybe, now that they are here, they probably will change their mind so we put the van into use. We repaired it at a great cost because of them, so it will be made available to those who want to use it to carry their meat,” the MCE said.
Mr Hillary Webesea, the Veterinary Officer at the Abattoir, who took the GNA through the examination process, said the cattle were first kept in the lairage, where they rested and antemortem inspection was done to declare the animals fit or otherwise for slaughtering.
He said after inspection and certification, the animals were slaughtered by a Muslim and the rest of the processes, which were supposed to be done by the machines if operational, were done manually.