Wenchi: Aggrieved butchers reject upward adjustment of slaughter fees, threaten street protest

Aggrieved butchers at the Wenchi abattoir in the Bono Region have vehemently rejected the upward adjustment of slaughter fees due to the worsened unsanitary condition at the Wenchi slaughterhouse.

The visibly angry butchers insisted that until the Wenchi Municipal Assembly put the facility into good condition, there was no way they would pay the fees, which had increased from GHC5 to GHC20 for cattle slaughter.

 They also threatened a street protest to register their displeasure over the new fees and the deplorable condition of the abattoir.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at the slaughterhouse at Boadan in the Wenchi municipality, the butchers said they made persistent appeals and follow-ups to the Municipal Assembly to put the abattoir in good condition, but the assembly seemed unconcerned.

The situation at the slaughterhouse could lead to the outbreak of infections and communicable diseases if something is not done immediately.

During a visit, the GNA noticed the butchers slaughtered and dressed the animals on the floor in an unhygienic condition.

In 2021, the GNA carried a similar story on the bad state of the abattoir, but the situation seemed to worsen as the condition at the abattoir looked poor, unhygienic, and unacceptable.

The drainage system around the facility was still poor and the only manhole that collected liquid waste was full of debris.

Alhaji Seidu Mamudu, the Wenchi Municipal Chief Butcher, said though the butchers had engaged the assembly, the authorities had failed to put the abattoir in good shape.

When contacted, Mr Simon Gameli Kusorgbor, the Wenchi Municipal Veterinary Officer, described the situation as worrying, saying because of the state of the abattoir, it was difficult to collect revenue from the butchers.

He explained that the adjustment in the slaughter fees was made by parliament and “nobody can do anything about it now,” and added his voice on the need for the Assembly to put the facility in good shape.

Efforts made by the GNA to contact Mr Alexander Obour Damoah, the Wenchi Municipal Chief Executive, were unsuccessful.

However, Mr Akadieti Ayambire, the Wenchi Municipal Coordinating Director who was sighted at the abattoir expressed concern about the lack of funding to rehabilitate the facility now after he held a meeting with the butchers.