Operations at the slaughterhouse located at
It has emerged that the dilapidated Somanya slaughterhouse in the Eastern Region shut down four months ago over insanitary conditions is back in brisk business despite very little changes to the facility with revenue finding its way into unapproved hands – and worse enough, consumers consuming uncertified meat.
Investigations have revealed that no health inspection is conducted on the animals slaughtered at the facility, exposing consumers to the risk of consuming unwholesome meat and thereby posing serious health risks to them.
A visit to the place revealed that though the Veterinary Services Department (VSD) and Environmental Protection Agency, EPA which closed down the facility has not opened the slaughterhouse because its directives for improvement in sanitary conditions were yet to be adhered to, it is back in operations with the regulatory bodies denying any knowledge of its operations.
The VSD and EPA have since Friday, August 30, 2019, shut down the Somanya slaughterhouse that supplied beef to thousands of consumers because of unsanitary conditions under which it operated.
Officials said that operations at the slaughterhouse located at ‘Social Welfare’ a suburb of Somanya would be suspended indefinitely until insanitary conditions under which it operated are addressed through a corrective plan.
The old slaughterhouse had remained under lock and key but MCE for the area, Ebenezer Tetteh Kupualor, on 2nd of September 2019, intervened by allowing the butchers to go back to work while supposed committed steps are taken to address the concerns raised by the regulatory authorities.
This followed pleas to the assembly chief by the butchers who were at their wits end as they lamented that the closure of the slaughterhouse aside affecting their source of livelihood also resulted in the drastic loss of weight to their cattle.
It however appears that the intervention which was intended to remain an interim measure, did not come with the approval of the regulatory authorities who have since denied any knowledge of the operations of the facility.
The EPA and VSD charge Ghc 5 each on every inspected animal declared wholesome for consumption before it is slaughtered, revenue which collection alleged ‘party boys’ of the ruling NPP have taken over.
The two whose names were gathered as one Amanor Emmanuel, also known as Kofi DJ and Michael Nartey are not affiliated in any way to the VSD, EPA or the GRA and offer no receipt to the butchers after receiving the monies.
Indeed this reporter who visited the scene to ascertain the veracity of the claims witnessed two men who were not identified as officials of any of the bodies charged with this responsibility collecting revenue from the butchers.
A butcher who spoke with this reporter confirmed paying the revenues to the two gentlemen even though they admitted they did not come from the mandated offices, adding that they were only fulfilling their revenue obligations indifferent to who collected it.
“We know the boys to be NPP boys. They come here every morning to collect the revenue,” said Asibi (not his real name). “All that we care about is paying our revenues which we honour religiously.”
Municipal Environmental Health Officer at the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly, Mr. Richmond Owusu Noah when contacted on the issue said, “As far as we are concerned, the facility is not operational because we have closed it down. We no longer go there for inspection of livestock before they are slaughtered neither do we collect revenue on animals slaughtered for the same reasons.”
Officials from the Ghana Revenue Authority equally denied sending any of its officials to the facility, citing the same reasons of closure.
Asked what steps these bodies intended taking to ensure that the illegality is stopped, Mr. Owusu Noah promised visiting the facility to ascertain the situation for himself after which the EPA, VSD and GRA would act accordingly.
Weeks after the assurance however, the situation has remained the same as the regulatory authorities have failed in their assurance to address the situation.
The Slaughterhouse, which produces about 90% of the meat consumed across the Yilo Krobo Municipality remains the only meat processing centre in the municipality.
