Mixed reactions greet establishment of new abattoir at Bolgatanga

Correspdondence from the Upper East Region

The recent relocation of the Bolgatanga abattoir to a community called Yorigo, has been the talk of the town for some time now.

The initiative was done by the office of the District Assembly with the explanation that the old abattoir was below the standard of an abattoir.

Butchers failed to comply with the directive with the excuse

Read full article.that it was too small and could only accommodate five people at a time.

Apart from that, they felt it was far from town and it would therefore be cost-intensive and time-consuming.

According to them, they would have to hire motorkings to convey the animals to and fro for slaughtering and selling respectively.

The development has since been the talk of the town. Some of them shared their thoughts with GhanaWeb's Upper East Regional Correspondent, Sarah Dubure.

A resident, Mr. Thomas Asaah, expressed the fear that since all the butchers had ceased operations, the boys they hired would no longer have a source of livelihood.

He intimated that most of them actually raised money from the proceeds they made from helping the butchers to marry and raise families.

He noted that they still depended on the same source to sustain their families.

"Most of these children worked with the butchers for a long time. Anytime they slaughter the animals, they prepare the intestines and the other organs inside the animals, so the masters give them some and they also go to sell to get money," he pointed.

"They also send the boys to go and give meat to their customers anytime they serve. So it is this work that has given them money to marry and have children and care for their families," he added.

Another resident, madam Mercy Adongo, observed that the move was going to render the youth who were helping the butchers to be jobless.

This, she pointed out, would compel them to go into stealing in a bid to make ends meet.

She stated that it might not be their intention to do that, but the fact that times were hard, would be the driving force.

She further stated with worry, that some may even abandon their family and drift to the southern sector in search of non-existing jobs.

Another resident, Mr. George Azelkidengo held a contrary view. He opined that the relocation of the abattoir was a move in the right direction because it was inappropriate for an abattoir to be sited in town.

According to him, Bolgatanga was no longer a small town and added that all the regions had their abattoirs far away from town.

"Bolga is no longer a small town, it is no longer in the olden days. Everything is now development. If you go round all the Regions in the country, there is nowhere you will see an abattoir in town. It is always far away from town," he observed.